ROASTED CHICKEN AND PLUMS MAKE SWEET SHEET-PAN MEAL
Harvest season recipe yields a tangy, bright sauce
If there’s ever been a year in need of sweetening, it’s this one. So I’ve been looking forward to plum season.
Plums can shine in main dishes as well. Here, I’ve layered them in a sheet pan with chicken and sliced red onions, which caramelize in all those plummy juices.
If you use a mix of red, purple and yellow plums, you’ll make a particularly colorful meal.
And, like so many sheetpan dinners, it’s mostly fuss-free. You do need to season the chicken a few hours ahead, but your actual
hands-on time is minimal. Marinating gives the bird a chance to absorb the earthy flavors of toasted fennel seeds and allspice, along with garlic, lemon zest and a fiery jolt of red-pepper flakes.
I also add a drizzle of honey to the pan. Plum skins are notoriously tannic, and a little honey smooths things out. The combination of honey and spices gives the plums a chutneylike appeal, while the onions add a silky texture. Even better, as everything roasts, the plums absorb some of the savory chicken drippings, melting into a tangy, bright sauce that’s rich with schmaltz.
One thing to keep in mind when shopping is that rock-hard plums may not release enough liquid to make a sauce. If you can’t get ripe, soft plums nearly bursting with juice, substitute another stone fruit. Peaches, nectarines and pluots will all work, though since these tend to be sweeter than plums, you might need a squeeze of lemon at the end.
Just don’t add too much acid. Sweetness is the very point here, in an easy, seasonal sheet-pan chicken recipe that’s both richly hued and festive.
Clark is a James Beard Award winner and the author of more than 40 cookbooks. She writes for The New York Times.