One-pan chicken dinner a winner
Quick, easy and requiring only one pot is the formula used in a new cookbook by Ohio food writer and cooking teacher Carla Snyder in her handy collection of more than 70 “weeknight meals,” as she calls them.
Chicken thighs are the basis of this dish, one of 15 calling for chicken parts in One Pan, Whole Family (Chronicle Books/Raincoast, $34.95).
It’s a meat she likes to cook, indicated by the name of the chicken chapter: Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner.
Snyder calls her book “lowtech,” thanks to its minimal use of equipment: a big, heavy frying pan, a large pot or a rimmed sheet pan, plus a sharp knife.
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper are her favourite seasonings, good olive oil and fresh garlic are regulars, and she is a big fan of hot plates, offering the tip that, if your plates have no metal decoration, you can heat them in the microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.
This book, well photographed by Colin Price, encourages family dining without unduly stressing the cook. Serves: 4
1 onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 bunch Swiss chard
8 oz (227 g package) fresh mushrooms, sliced (3 cups/ 750 mL)
1 1/2 lbs (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs Kosher or coarse salt Freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
1/4 cup (60 mL) apple cider or apple juice
1/2 cup (125 mL) whipping cream
1/2 lemon
2 tbsp (30 mL) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1. Combine onion and garlic in a medium bowl. Trim ribs from chard, chop ribs and add to onion mixture. Chop chard leaves and set aside.
2. Sprinkle chicken with 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt and some pepper. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) of the oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium-high heat.
3. When oil shimmers, brown chicken for about three minutes a side, a total of 6 to 7 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
4. In the same pan, heat remaining 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil and add onion mixture, mushrooms, 1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) salt and some pepper, and sauté until mixture begins to soften, about 3 minutes.
5. Add chard leaves and cook until they wilt, about 2 minutes.
6. Add cider to pan and tuck browned chicken into the vegetable mixture. Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Stir in cream and continue cooking until chicken is cooked through and sauce is reduced, about 5 minutes.
8. Season with a dash of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot, sprinkled with parsley.
Tips: For children, add diced apples to the onion mixture. For adults, add a tbsp of apple brandy to the pan before serving.