1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Tie a handful of the thyme sprigs together with twine, leaving a few sprigs out for later. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and season generously with 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper.

2. Arrange the chicken skin-side down in a cold, oven-safe pan, then place over medium heat. Cook until the skin is golden brown and lifts easily off the pan. Flip and brown on the other side for 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

3. To the pan used for cooking the chicken, still over medium heat, add the shallot and garlic. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Add the squash and cauliflower and stir to combine. Place the thyme bundle on top of the vegetables, then nestle the chicken back in, skin-side up. Pour the stock over the mixture, covering just up to the chicken skin. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through and falls off the bone, about 30 minutes.

4. While the chicken roasts, make your pistachio breadcrumbs: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the pistachios and breadcrumbs and cook until toasted and golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the parsley, lemon zest, and ½ teaspoon of salt. Set the pistachio breadcrumbs aside.

5. Make the dressing: Remove the leaves from 2 sprigs of thyme. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, thyme leaves, remaining ½ teaspoon of salt, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon of black pepper. Slowly whisk in the remaining ⅓ cup of olive oil. Place the arugula in a large bowl, drizzle with your desired amount of dressing, and toss to combine.

6. Once the chicken has finished roasting, remove the pan from the oven. Spoon the vegetables, pan juices, and chicken onto a plate or shallow bowl. Garnish everything with pistachio breadcrumbs and serve with arugula salad.

What to do with the leftovers?

Vegetables:

-Purée with extra stock and a touch of cream for soup, then garnish with any leftover pistachio breadcrumbs.

Chicken:

-Layer onto tortillas with cheese to make quesadillas (great on their own or with the soup).

-Chop and mix with mayonnaise, celery, a tiny bit of Dijon mustard, and some lemon juice to make chicken salad. Serve over leftover dressed arugula salad.

Squash + Chicken:

-Toast a baguette and spread with goat cheese. Mash the roasted squash on top. Add a handful of dressed arugula salad. Slice or shred chicken and place on top. Garnish with fresh thyme.

-Chop the chicken, then mix roasted vegetables, pan juices, and chicken with pasta and Parmesan cheese.

Holiday Chicken with Braised Apricots and Currants

Ingredients

get cookin’ with kittch