It isn’t summer any more. I know that because when I wake up in the morning I snuggle deeper under the covers against the cool breeze; and because the world turns a particular September shade of golden in the late afternoon; and I know summer is gone because I’ve begun to think about squash and apple picking and making big pots of soup.
It is a fact of life that my work as a food writer often pushes me far away from the seasons. I work on Thanksgiving stories in April (and invite friends over to share our autumnal feast on Tax Day); I make patriotic strawberry-blueberry shortcakes in January; and in July my oven works its mighty magic for hours to produce succulent Christmas roasts. But I still feel, smell, hear and see the seasons as they truly are.
Right now, in the middle of September, I am not ready for gargantuan cuts of meat, but zucchini and corn are old news. I’m happy to zig-zag across seasons with chicken, herbs from my garden, and fall-ish vegetables like carrots and potatoes.
| Servings 6 | |
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
- 2 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, scrubbed and cut in small wedges
- 8 ounces baby-cut carrots
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses*
- 1/4 cup lower sodium chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
|
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Coat a shallow baking sheet pan with cooking spray.
- Combine the olive oil, rosemary, garlic and salt in a large bowl. Add the potatoes and toss thoroughly. Add the chicken and carrots and toss until evenly coated.
- Spread the potatoes and carrots out on the baking sheet; place the chicken on top. Roast in the center of the oven until the chicken and potatoes are lightly browned and cooked to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, about 35 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine the pomegranate molasses, broth, lemon juice and zest, sugar, cardamom, coriander and ginger in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue boiling 3 minutes. Combine the cornstarch with 1 teaspoon water in a small bowl; stir into the sauce and boil 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thick and glossy. Brush over the chicken and return to the oven for another 5 minutes, until the chicken is glazed and reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees, about another 5 minutes.
422 calories, 29 g protein, 34 g carbohydrates, 3 g fiber, 19 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 447 mg sodium
*Pomegranate molasses is a sweet-tart syrup that bears no resemblance to molasses other than in texture. It is robustly flavorful, so you generally use just a couple of tablespoons at a time, but it keeps in the refrigerator indefinitely. It is available at Whole Foods, in many specialty stores and in some grocery stores. This is the brand I buy.
Leave a Reply