That’s a spatchcocked heirloom chicken (Trader Joe’s) nestled on top of a huge bed of caramelized onions and broth. AND there’s a Habanero pepper in it.
My friend Linda T recommended this dish to me – she’d watched an episode of America’s Test Kitchen where they prepared it. She tried it, loved it, and has made it numerous times. Always to raves. Linda has several recipes here on my blog, so when she says try something, I listen!
This recipe calls for a Habanero pepper. I knew what they were, have seen them at the grocery store, but hadn’t ever cooked with them. When I was selecting one a kind Hispanic woman next to me said, “oh, don’t choose that one, get one that’s smooth all over.” She found a good one for me. She told me that people from the Yucatan use Habanero in just about all of their cooking and when her relatives come to visit she must add them to everything she cooks or they complain! Interesting. I used just HALF of the Habanero in this dish and put the other half in a ziploc bag and into the freezer for the next time. I left it in one piece and removed it once it was cooked. I’m sure it would be very hot to eat straight, even cooked! If you’re sensitive to spicy heat, you can eliminate the pepper, but I’d suggest using a milder one instead, like a Jalapeno.
The original recipe calls for chicken thighs, but since I was serving guests, I thought the whole chicken would be a prettier presentation. I spatchcocked it myself. I do have a really good pair of kitchen shears that made quick work of the breast bone. Then the chicken is marinated in a mixture of lemon juice, neutral (vegetable) oil, Dijon mustard and salt. Do this for an hour ahead of time. Then the chicken is browned in a big skillet. That iron skillet in the photograph is a really big one (I’d say it’s a 14″ one), big enough to hold the entire chicken. It might fit in a 12″ spider. Check first! If you’re using chicken thighs you definitely can use a smaller skillet.
Once the chicken is browned, remove it and set aside. Into the pan add the onions and salt, reduce the heat and then caramelize the onions in the residual chicken fat. This takes awhile – at least 30 minutes. Stir them frequently, especially toward the end when they get that lovely brown color. Then you add chicken broth, LOTS of garlic, the Habanero (I used half, remember), pepper and the reserved marinade and bring it to a simmer. Put the chicken back into the pot, along with the Castelvetrano olives (not in the original recipe, but commenters at ATK recommended them). Cover and simmer for about an hour (shorter if using thighs). Meanwhile I made basmati rice and served that alongside. If you want to, make a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch and water) and add it to the sauce (after removing the chicken). Cook a few minutes. It’ll make a thicker gravy, that has so much good flavor. Do remove the Habanero before serving. Garnish with parsley and serve.
What’s GOOD: the flavor is off the charts good. Certainly comfort food. The Habanero gives it some heat. Lots of complex flavors here, and the rice soaks up all those good juices and sauce. There was about 1/4 cup of chicken meat left on the bones when we were done and I had to hunt hard to find that!
What’s NOT: can’t think of anything. Easy to make.
Chicken Yassa (from Senegal)
Serves: 4
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons lemon juice (3 lemons), divided, plus lemon wedges for serving
3 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons table salt, divided
2 pounds bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed, or use a spatchcocked whole chicken
2 pounds onions, halved and sliced thin
1 1/3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
8 garlic cloves, lightly crushed and peeled
1 small Habanero pepper, left in one piece (or use half)
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch, mixed with 1 T water
1/3 cup Castelvetrano olives, halved
4 1/2 cups cooked long-grain white rice
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh parsley
lemon wedges for garnish
1. Whisk 1/3 cup lemon juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, mustard, and 1 teaspoon salt together in a large bowl. Add chicken and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.
2. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Using tongs, remove chicken from marinade and drag pieces against the rim of the bowl to scrape excess marinade back into the bowl (this is difficult with a spatchcocked chicken – do your best); do not discard marinade. Transfer chicken to the pot, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken and brown on the second side, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate.
3. Add onions and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt to the pot; reduce heat to medium-low; and cook, stirring frequently and scraping browned bits from the bottom of the pot, until onions are softened and caramelized, 25 to 30 minutes.
4. Stir in broth, garlic, habanero, pepper, and reserved marinade and bring to a simmer. Return chicken and any accumulated juices to the pot. Add the Castelvetrano olives. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to the consistency of heavy cream and chicken is very tender (meat should begin to fall from the bone and a fork will slip easily in and out of the meat), 45 to 55 minutes. If desired, thicken the gravy with a cornstarch slurry (1 T cornstarch with 1 T water, mixed well, then added to the liquid in the pan and mixed in. Stir in the extra 2 T lemon juice into the sauce and season with S&P as needed. REMOVE and discard the habanero pepper from the pot.
5. Spread rice on a large platter or put it at one end. Arrange chicken on top or next to the rice.
6. Spoon sauce and onions over and around the chicken and rice. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Source: adapted from America’s Test Kitchen
Leave a Comment!