Sheet-pan chicken with rhubarb and red onion
This easy yet robust dish celebrates rhubarb’s savory side. Here, a bit of honey, some sliced sweet red onion and the rich juices of roasted chicken thighs and drumsticks temper its tartness. Serve this dish with a crackly baguette or some rice to catch the tangy sauce at the bottom of the pan. It’s the best part. Yield: 3 to 4 servings Total time: 45 minutes Ingredients:
• 1 3/4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and drumsticks (see Tip)
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
• 1 large red onion, cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges
• 5 thyme sprigs
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
• 8 oz rhubarb stalks, sliced into 1/2-inch pieces (about 2 cups)
• 3 tbsp honey, plus more to taste
• 1/2 cup cilantro or mint leaves and tender stems, torn
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees and line sheet pan with parchment paper. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season all over with coriander, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
2. Place onion wedges on the prepared sheet pan and lightly season with more salt and pepper. Add chicken and thyme sprigs to the pan and drizzle 3 tablespoons oil over everything. Toss until well coated, then spread chicken and onions in a single layer. Roast for 10 minutes.
3. While the chicken is in the oven, combine rhubarb and 3 tablespoons honey in a medium bowl. Lightly drizzle with oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss until rhubarb is well coated.
4. Remove chicken from oven and carefully spoon rhubarb onto the hot pan around the onions and chicken. Continue roasting until the chicken is cooked through, and the rhubarb and onion are tender and caramelized, 25 to 35 minutes longer, tossing the rhubarb and onions (not the chicken) once about halfway through.
5. Stir the rhubarb and onions very well, making sure to incorporate all the browned bits and chicken juices from the bottom of the pan (this is the tastiest part). Then sample a piece of rhubarb. If it’s very tart, drizzle with a little more honey, tossing well. Serve chicken with rhubarb-onion mixture garnished with herbs.
Tip:
You can substitute bone-in, skin on-breasts for the thighs and drumsticks. Just start checking 10 minutes earlier since white meat takes less time to cook than dark meat.