Millet Porridge With Tamari Chicken

Serves 4 to 6

At her porridge pop-ups, Kristen Rasmussen’s savory porridge balances rich tamari-roasted chicken and crispy chicken skin cracklings with sauteed bitter greens and a tangy wild herb sauce. The kind of greens and herbs varies with the seasons, depending on what she forages. The crispy shallots, tamari-shallot oil and wild herb sauce can all be made a day or two ahead. The tamari-shallot oil will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month. The wild herb sauce will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

Chicken

1 pound chicken legs, skin on 1 to 2 teaspoons grapeseed or canola oil 1 to 2 teaspoons tamari Kosher salt to taste ¼ to ½ cup chicken stock

Fried shallots

½ cup grapeseed or canola oil 1 large shallot, very thinly sliced Kosher salt to taste 2 to 3 tablespoons tamari

Wild herb sauce

½ cup chopped wild herbs, such as nasturtium leaves, wood sorrel, fennel (or any fresh herb such as basil or cilantro) Juice of 1 lemon, plus more if desired Kosher salt to taste

Porridge

½ cup, plus 2 tablespoons millet 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock 1 bay leaf ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste ¼ teaspoon white pepper, plus more to taste

To finish and serve

2 tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil, divided 4 medium or 6 small radishes, preferably with leaves attached, cut in half Kosher salt to taste 5 cups chopped leafy greens, such as dandelion, mustard, kale or chard Nasturtium or other edible flowers to garnish (optional)

To make the chicken: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Remove the skin from the chicken legs and set aside.

Rub the chicken legs with the oil and tamari; sprinkle lightly with salt.

Place the chicken legs in an medium baking pan and add enough chicken stock to reach

halfway up the legs. Cover and roast until the meat is tender and falls off the bone, about 60 to 75 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, make the cracklings. Lay the reserved chicken skin flat and blot dry with a paper towel. Cut the skin into roughly 3-inch pieces. Heat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. When hot, working in batches if necessary, place the chicken skin pieces in a single layer and, using tongs, keep them as flat as possible while they cook. Cook about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Place on a clean paper towel, sprinkle with salt. Repeat with any remaining chicken skin.

When the chicken legs are cool enough to handle, roughly shred the meat in a medium bowl and top with the remaining juices. Set aside. To make the fried shallots: Place the oil in a small saute pan and heat over medium heat. Add the shallot slices in a single layer and cook until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Remove the shallots, let cool on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.

When the oil is cool, pour it through a finemesh strainer into a Mason jar. Reserve 1½ tablespoons of the shallot oil for the wild herb sauce. Add the tamari and a pinch of salt to the remaining oil, seal the jar and shake to combine. Set aside. To make the wild herb sauce: Blend the herbs, the reserved 1½ tablespoons of shallot oil, and lemon juice with an immersion blender. Season to taste with salt and more lemon juice, if desired.

To make the porridge: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, toast the millet until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove 2 tablespoons of millet and set aside. Rinse the remaining millet, then add back to the pot.

Add the stock, 3 cups of water and the bay leaf to the pot and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the bay leaf and cook for another 5 to 10 minutes. Stir in the salt, white pepper and reserved toasted millet. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To finish: While the porridge cooks, heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, place the radishes cut side down and sear until slightly browned, then flip and cook another minute on the other side. (Try to keep the radish leaves off the pan until the end of cooking so they just slightly wilt.) Transfer the radishes to a plate and sprinkle with salt. In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, followed by the leafy greens and a splash of water. Cook until wilted and add a drizzle of the reserved tamari oil.

To serve: Place a mound of greens in each serving bowl, followed by a drizzle of tamari oil and ladle on 1 cup of porridge. Top with some of the chicken and its juices, along with the seared radish halves. Drizzle the top with more tamari oil, as well as a bit of the wild herb sauce. Garnish with the crispy shallots, cracklings and nasturtium flowers, if using.