Sheet-Pan Paprika Chicken With Tomatoes and Parmesan by Melissa Clark
This deeply savoury, weeknight-friendly sheet-pan chicken is worth buying a new jar of sweet paprika for, especially if you can’t remember when you got the one in your spice drawer.The fresher the spices, the more intensely flavourful the dish. This one is as pretty as it is complex, with a mix of colourful cherry tomatoes and peppers that soften and absorb all the chicken juices as they roast. Serve it with something to catch the saucy tomatoes: Crusty bread, polenta or couscous all work well.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken parts (breasts, drumsticks, thighs or a mix)
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, plus more for serving
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon Espelette pepper or smoked hot paprika (pimentón)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 pint cherry tomatoes (preferably different colours), halved
1 poblano chile or 1 small green bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 cup thinly sliced sweet bell peppers (red, yellow or orange)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for serving
Freshly ground black pepper
PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees. Season chicken all over with salt, and place it on a rimmed baking sheet.
2. In a small bowl, stir together olive oil, vinegar, garlic, paprika, Espelette and oregano. Pour over chicken, tossing to coat.
3. Add tomatoes, poblano and sweet peppers to baking sheet, spread vegetables around the chicken. Season vegetables lightly with salt and drizzle with a little more olive oil. Sprinkle Parmesan all over chicken and vegetables.
4. Roast until chicken is golden, crisp and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Stir the vegetables halfway through cooking but don’t disturb the chicken. If white meat is done before dark meat, remove it as it finishes cooking.
5. Transfer chicken to plates. Stir vegetables around in pan, scraping up all the delicious browned bits from the bottom and sides of pan, and stir in the parsley and black pepper to taste. Taste and add salt if needed, and a drizzle of vinegar if you like. Spoon vegetables over the chicken to serve.
Baked Salmon and Dill Rice by Naz Deravian
Fragrant dill rice is a natural accompaniment to salmon, and a complete meal of the two is made easy here by baking them together in one dish. Add fresh or dried dill to basmati rice, which is eventually topped with salmon covered in a tangy, sweet and spicy paste of mayo, lemon zest, honey and dried chile flakes. To ensure the rice is perfectly fluffy without overcooking the fish, the grains are baked until most of the water is absorbed before the salmon is added over the top.
Yield: 4 servings
Total time: 40 minutes
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/2 cups white basmati rice, rinsed and drained
Kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal) and black pepper
4 ounces fresh dill, tough stems removed and finely chopped (about 1 cup), or 1/3 cup dried, plus more for serving
2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
1 large lemon, zested (about 1 teaspoon)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon red-pepper flakes, plus more for serving
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1 inch thick at their thickest parts), skin on or off
PREPARATION
1. Place an oven rack in the centre position and heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a kettle or a small saucepan, bring 2 3/4 cups water to a boil.
2. To a 9-by-13-inch baking pan, add the olive oil and spread it around the pan. Add the rice, 1 teaspoon salt and the dill, and stir to combine. Spread the rice evenly across the pan. Add the boiling water, stir and cover tightly with foil. Place in the oven and bake until most of the water has been absorbed, 12 to 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the garlic, lemon zest, mayonnaise, honey, turmeric and red-pepper flakes. Season both sides of the salmon fillets well with salt (about 1 1/2 teaspoons total) and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise paste on top (or flesh side) of the salmon fillets.
4. Remove the pan from the oven and very carefully lift the foil. Place the salmon fillets on top of the rice, paste side up, reseal and place back in the oven. Bake until the rice is fluffy and the salmon is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Garnish with more fresh dill and red-pepper flakes.
These recipes originally appeared in the New York Times