The Recipe Anna Didn't Take: Almost-Charmoula Chicken

When Anna left her job at the Fly Trap, a celebrated local diner, she had a lot of recipes in her head. She'd  been there for over a year and worked around these recipes every day, so it was hard to erase that knowledge straightaway. She didn't write anything down, alas, so we have to head up to the restaurant if we want any of our former favorites (though she continues to be the Queen of All Things Aioli, to my cholesterol level's dismay). 

So I was very happy when I came across this recipe in a cookbook we've had forever and not cooked from recently. I've been feeling a little guilty about the number of cookbooks we've purchased and not yet used when we have so very many on our shelves already... but that's an ongoing lingering guilt I don't imagine I'll ever resolve. Meantime, it was time to revisit this one after we discovered more chicken that we expected in the freezer. It's either Middle Eastern or North African, depending on whether you believe the cookbook or the restaurant; there's a lot of crossover between the two cuisines.

If you have the time and inclination, by all means follow the original recipe and use bone-in chicken pieces cooked on the grill. It's delicious. But if you're trying to crank out a weeknight dinner, swap in some boneless skinless chicken breasts and bake them. The marinade takes a few minutes to put together but you could always make it in advance - ambitious weekend meal prep, anyone? - and the marinade time is super flexible so it will work with whatever your schedule is. We've done the bare minimum 15 minutes and been very happy with the outcome, especially if we put a bit of the marinade over the chicken while it bakes. 

It practically screams to be wrapped up in some good Syrian bread with a bit of toum, if you happen to have a ridiculous amount of it left over from the graduation party. It would be (ok - it is) delightful as the Fly Trap serves it - on grilled sourdough with Jack cheese and caramelized onions and a swoosh of lemon garlic aioli. But it's also delicious as-is, with seasoned rice or whatever you like on the side. 

From Hot Chicken [A Cookbook] by Hugh Carpenter and Teri Sandison. 

Almost Charmoula Chicken 

2 frying chickens, cut into pieces, or whatever amount of boneless skinless chicken breasts you think you want 
Zest of 2 lemons
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (I do recommend thegood stuff here)
3/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup honey
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp sweet paprika 
2 tsp cayenne 
1 1/2 tsp salt 
6 cloves garlic, minced 
4 small shallots, minced 
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves 
Dash of nutmeg, unless you forget it 

Mix all the marinade ingredients together except the nutmeg. Put the chicken in a large Ziploc bag and pour the marinade over it, seal it up, and squoosh it around to thoroughly coat the chicken. Put it in the fridge and marinate for as little as 15 minutes or as long as 8 hours, turning periodically if you're marinating for a longer time. I'd recommend you marinate on the longer side if you're using bone-in chicken. 

Heat the oven to 350 or light the grill. If you're baking it, put a little of the marinade over the top of the chicken and bake for 30 minutes (I'm not sure why the original recipe calls for 25 minutes at 425 - that sounds like a recipe for some dried-out chicken, imho). If you're grilling, you should already know what you're doing and don't need instructions from me. Dab on a little of the remaining marinade while you're cooking, if you like.  

Sprinkle a dash of nutmeg (or grate a bit fresh, if you're fancy-schmancy and have a whole nutmeg on hand) over the top and serve. 

Other Jen's Corn Salad, and a few thoughts on graduation

We've been caught up in the whirlwind of John's graduation this year - prom, the senior all-night party, graduation, the grad party, everyone else's grad party.... It's felt like a lot, and I didn't really know what to expect as Anna graduated in the middle of Covid shutdowns. It was wonderful in a lot of ways but also very hectic, and I'd be lying to you if I didn't admit that there were a lot of emotions on my part. Even though both my kids are living at home for the foreseeable future, there is a sense of loss. They don't need us in the ways they used to (other than driving John places, because the driver's license saga continues. Sigh.) and it's the start of the empty nesting that friends have warned me about. Like everything else to do with parenting, you can't really understand it until you're going through it. 

With all the frantic activity of May, it was wonderful to be invited to our friends' house for dinner over Memorial Day weekend - one less thing to think about and plan. As much as I despise Pinterest (I actually have a plug-in for my browser called Unpinterested, which removes all Pinterest results from my searches), I will freely admit that this summer corn salad that Jen found is an absolute winner and has found its place on our table several times already. It stays crunchy for at least a few days - I made enough for leftovers - and it's a nice side for tacos, burgers, chicken, or anything else that wants some summer corn with it. In my opinion, this is just about everything, as I never get sick of corn, but it's nice to have something a little more dressed up than the steamed or grilled corn that's my go-to. I'd definitely take it to a party though I'd be careful about the mayo; not that I actually think it would last once people get a taste of it. 

In a pinch I think you could probably use frozen baby corn; we'll see if I get a craving for this mid-winter (I will) and I'll report back. 

I'm a Pinterest idiot so I really don't know who to attribute this to, but it will always be my friend Jen's corn salad in my mind. The link I followed had ingredients but no instructions, but it seemed pretty basic to me - combine everything and reduce the number of bowls you need to wash.  

The Other Jen's Corn Salad 

1 cup chopped cilantro
4 cups corn, ideally cut off the cob 
1 jalapeno or equivalent squeeze of jalapeno paste from the tube you found at Aldi 
1 bell pepper, chopped 
1/2 chopped red onion or equivalent amount of green onions, depending on what you have on hand
4 Tbsp lime juice 
2 Tbsp mayonnaise 
3 Tbsp sour cream 
1/2 tsp chili powder 
1/4 tsp kosher salt 
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1 Tbsp olive oil 
2/3 cup Cotija cheese, if you can find it

Combine the cilantro and vegetables in a large bowl. Mix together the rest of the ingredients except the Cotija cheese, then fold into the vegetables. Sprinkle the cheese on top before serving, or put it on the side if you have a picky teenager who doesn't like dairy and can't possibly be your child.  

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