A Screamingly Good Chicken and Arugula Salad Recipe

On Monday, the New York Times ran a fascinating article about an obscure new record. The work of LeRoy Stevens, a twenty-five-year old artist who recently moved to the city, “Favorite Recorded Scream,” slams snippets of shocking sound onto twelve inches of limited-edition vinyl. The vocals were picked by clerks at local record stores and the record features everyone from James Brown to Buddy Holly to the Who.

I mentioned the article to Santa Maria this morning, and her eyes lit up. She said screaming is often how she feels after spending any time in the kitchen.

Frustration is an inherent part of any domestic labor, any good marriage, and aging in general, so I know how she feels. At least for me, though, cooking also prompts screams of joy. Especially when I come home from work to find the basic elements of an easy salad already prepared, as I did last night.

It takes some work in the morning to get to this stage, but if you take a deep breath and exhale slowly, you’ll get there. And may the screams you emit be ones of pure pleasure.

Arugula, Chicken, and Roasted Red Pepper Salad

• Four Chicken drumsticks and thighs, bone in
• One Onion, sliced
• One Red Pepper, sliced
• Olive Oil, a drizzle
• Thyme, to taste
• Salt and Pepper
• White wine
• Arugula

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Combine the chicken, the onion, the pepper, the thyme, and the olive oil in a roasting pan.
Arrange the chicken so it is skin side up.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
Roast the chicken and the vegetables until the onion and pepper are soft and the chicken is crispy and cooked through, about a half hour.
Remove the chicken and vegetables and deglaze the pan with white wine.
Put the chicken and vegetables over the arugula and dress with the sauce from the roasting pan.

Notes:

All of this can be made in advance. In that case, skip the deglazing step and dress the salad with white wine vinegar. You won’t need oil because of the chicken fat on the vegetables. Serve with fresh bread.

This recipe is adapted, yet again, from the “Gourmet Everyday” book that I’m so fond of. The adaptation in this instance consists of forgetting to buy red potatoes, which when chopped and added to the dish make it nearly a one pot meal.

Comments

[Jill Mann]

This recipe will be wonderful tonight. Thanks for sharing.