"comfort is golden" a one-pan recipe and other musings
Crispy Vinegar Chicken Thighs with Golden Farro Risotto and a personal update
My father had a stroke last week, and it rocked me to my f*cking core. I’m hurt, I’m scared, I’m sad, I’m relieved that he’s still here, I’m angry but mostly I’m unsure what there is for me to do but cook and pray my way through it.
I really try to keep my family matters out of this newsletter. The permanence of the internet, however fickle, has made me cautious to peel back the layers of the people who can’t help but be connected to me. There are so many things I do not say in “mixed company” but this week - I’ll write whatever I want. His stroke happened to me as much as it happened to him, and it’ll linger longer.
My dad doesn’t know it - or wouldn’t remember but I learned to cook as a reaction to his divorce from my mother - who was not only the household cook but also THEE cook. She could make flavor out of anything - a pinch of garlic powder, a corned beef, a box of yellow cake mix or a can of crushed pineapple. She made everything taste like home, like a hug, like a wintery fireplace. Dad could cook too but he ate for sustenance, and it showed in the one pot meals he’d toss into the crockpot of our small Bankhead kitchen before he left for work. Barbecue chicken- slightly slimy from the lack of sauté before such long hours of cooking. Beef stew with potatoes and carrots- hearty and filling but never quite satisfying. A whole chicken and a bag of white rice cooked in Blue Mountain Country Jamaican curry powder and a carton of chicken broth. If there were other seasonings in it, I couldn’t tell you. I could tell you, it was the warmest meal he made- and still. I took up the mantle of creative cooking to bridge the gap between my two worlds and the rest has been a 22-year-long love/hate story.
On the night before I got the phone call that changed my life and could’ve taken his, I was in my kitchen, not far away from the home on Bankhead where I learned to cook as an act of rebellion and preservation - making a meal inspired by his. A meal I refined over time, in a SoHo test kitchen by adding vinegar and tahini, by crisping the chicken skin, by changing the grain for something more wholesome, by using the oven instead of a crockpot, by making it with care and a core memory.
I only got to enjoy it that night, made a full pan for myself and my lover with the intent to savor it in the days to follow. But when the calls came in at 6:11 and again at 6:15 and yet again at 7:02, there was no time to pack the food.
My dad is back home now - just a week later - I am lucky to only know an “almost” sort of grief. But it is still grieving. Second-hand, thrift store, someone wore-this-before-me-and-returned-it-but-I-see-the-stains grief. So I am trying to recover in an “almost” sort of way, cooking my way back through it as an act of hope for him, and for me.
Last night, I made the meal again. I took my time, reminded myself that I loved cooking once, loved cooking for my dad once too. I gulped back a swig of Portuguese Vinho Verde and remembered I am grown now. It doesn’t change the memories, just the muscles. I cleaned the chicken, patted-dry, seasoned and sauteed it in my favorite skillet. I moved the chicken onto a plate and began to prepare my faux risotto. I savored the sizzle of shallots, then garlic hitting the pan. I hummed at the hissing, backed by my favorite playlist. I thanked God for the act of invention and reinvention. I toasted the farro grains until they shined. Zested the lemons. Measured the turmeric. Simmered the broth. Prepared the grains as far as they could go in the pan without spilling over and staining everything a nuisance of a yellow. I pushed my limits and sunshine marked the marble as a warning. I transferred the mixture to a better pan for baking, for holding the juices that the chicken would release and reabsorb. I thanked God for intuition and for kitchen sponges. I placed the whole pan into the oven and for the first time in a week, I breathed from my diaphragm and then went for a walk with my lover.
When I returned to it, almost an hour later, the farro risotto was rich with sautéed shallots and savory garlic, bright from fresh lemon juice and zest, tangy from apple cider vinegar, kissed by herby thyme, jammy from roasted red onions. And unctuous from the chicken jus and small pats of butter nestled into the risotto. The chicken’s skin was crisp, slightly briny from the salt and the vinegar. Each bite that I snuck was warm, like a kitchen I knew and didn’t know and had tried quite hard to forget despite remembering anyway. I thanked God for spite and a desire to forgive.
It was the perfect meal to heal with - or heal from. Depends who you ask.
Crispy Vinegar Chicken Thighs with Turmeric-Tahini Farro Risotto
A one-pan(ish) wonder that's bursting with warm, earthy flavors and bright citrus notes. This dish takes the cozy comfort of risotto but uses hearty farro for a nutty twist. Topped with perfectly crispy chicken thighs, it's a weeknight-friendly meal that feels special enough for company.
Yield: 4 servings Prep Time: 25 minutes Cook Time: 45 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Ingredients:
For the Chicken:
6-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder or your fave poultry seasoning ( I love Kinder’s Roasted Chicken)
glug of olive oil
For the Farro Risotto:
2 cups pearled farro, rinsed
1 large shallot, finely diced
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken broth or 4 cups of water + 1 tbsp chicken bouillon
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Zest of 2 lemons
1 tbsp tahini (optional)
1 heaping tbsp ground turmeric
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp kosher salt (adjust based on your broth's saltiness)
2 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large red onion, quartered
2 lemons, quartered
Fresh herbs for garnish (parsley, cilantro, or dill work great)
Instructions:
Prep and Preheat:
Preheat oven to 400°F
Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning. Let sit at room temperature for 5 minutes
Sear the Chicken:
Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet (cast iron works perfectly) over medium-high heat. Once hot, place chicken thighs skin side down
Cook undisturbed for 7 minutes until skin is crispy and golden. Flip and cook 2 more minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, leaving the delicious drippings in the pan
Start the Farro Base:
Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots to the chicken drippings, cooking until softened (about 3 minutes). Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 1 minute)
Add farro to the pan, stirring to coat in the oil. Toast for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally
Build the Risotto:
Add broth and apple cider vinegar, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer
Stir in lemon zest, tahini, turmeric, and black pepper. Let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings
Assemble for Baking:
Make sure farro is evenly distributed in the pan. Dot with butter pieces
Nestle chicken thighs skin side up into the farro. Tuck quartered red onion and lemon around the chicken
Bake:
Transfer pan to preheated oven. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, until farro has absorbed most of the liquid and chicken reaches 165°F internal temperature
If chicken skin needs more crisping, broil for 1 minute intervals
Rest and Serve:
Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs
Squeeze the roasted lemon over everything right before serving
NOTES:
Use a skillet that's at least 12 inches wide to give everything room
If you don't have an oven-safe skillet, transfer everything to a baking dish after step 4
Pearled farro cooks faster than whole farro - adjust cooking time if using whole
The farro will continue to absorb liquid as it sits, so it's okay if there's still some liquid in the pan when done
I like to serve this with a lightly dressed massaged kale salad, but any spring vegetable would pair beautifully - bonus points if you can roast it while your chicken is in the oven (asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, etc)