Indecision Chicken

Chicken is typically a crowd-pleaser, and it’s hard to go wrong with it. But then again, I feel like I’ve tried a lot of different recipes lately that turned out just okay - chicken curry, cilantro-lime chicken, creamy tahini chicken with rice, one-pot Asian chicken with rice (versions 1 and 2), even the pretty sheet pan chicken with sumac.

I was waiting for something to wow me, and that turned out to be this indecision chicken from Julia Turshen’s Small Victories (excellent cookbook, by the way). One day, when making dinner without a plan, she wasn’t sure whether she should marinate the chicken in herbs, or lemon, or honey mustard, and so she decided to use everything – and it came out so good that her dinner guests asked her for the recipe. It was really fantastic! And easy to prepare, too – I roasted mine.

I served this with carrot tzimmes that were excellent (and not unlike pennies from heaven, come to think of it). The Little Prince liked these! If you want to be more traditional, add a starch to your plate (like potatoes, rice, or quinoa).

1 clove garlic, minced

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 Tbsp. minced fresh sage (I omitted it)

grated zest and juice of 1 lemon, plus lemon wedges for serving

1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp. seeded mustard

1 tsp. honey

¼ cup olive oil

½ tsp. kosher salt

¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 ½ lb. boneless, skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts, trimmed

In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, parsley, lemon zest and juice, mustards, honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Add chicken and use your hands to generously coat each piece. Allow chicken to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour or in the refrigerator up to overnight. Allow chicken to come to room temperature before cooking.

GRILL: Preheat grill over high heat. Grill chicken about 5 minutes per side until fully cooked (internal temperature of 165 °F).

ROAST: Preheat oven to 425 °F. Roast chicken, turning pieces halfway through cooking, about 25 minutes total or until fully cooked (internal temperature of 165 °F).

BROIL: Preheat broiler. Broil chicken for about 5 minutes on each side or until fully cooked (internal temperature of 165 °F).