Recipes: roasted chicken with potatoes and fresh arugula salad and butter chicken bowls with white rice

MEAL 1: ROASTED CHICKEN AND POTATOES WITH FRESH ARUGULA SALAD

In this series, we’re showing off a classic roasted chicken in the most delicious way. The whole chicken is simply seasoned, then roasted along with some wedgecut oven fries. The breasts and fries are served with a generous helping of a fresh arugula salad for the first meal in the series. The wings, legs, and thighs are then transformed into my interpretation of butter chicken. The creamy red sauce is served over fluffy white rice and topped with plenty of cilantro (which you can omit if you don’t have a taste for it).

Serves 2
Active time: 30 MINUTES
Total time: 1 HOUR 30 MINUTES

For the Roasted Chicken
1 (4- to 4 1/2-pound) whole chicken
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter, at room temperature
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

For the Roasted Potatoes
1 pound red potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch-wide wedges
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

For the Fresh Arugula Salad
4 cups arugula
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Roast the chicken: Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken and pat the chicken dry with a

paper towel.

3. In a small bowl, stir together the butter and garlic until well combined.

4. Rub about half the garlic butter over the outside of the chicken. Using your fingers, gently lift the skin from the breast and smear the rest of the garlic butter under the skin.

5. Place the chicken in a roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet. Tuck the wing tips under the joint where the wing meets the chicken’s body. Using about 6 inches of kitchen twine, tie the ends of the drumsticks together.

6. Season the chicken with the salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour 10 minutes, or until the juices run clear

and/or an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest portion of a thigh registers 165°F. If the skin starts to brown too deeply, tent the chicken with a piece of aluminum foil.

7. Meanwhile, roast the potatoes: In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the olive oil. Spread them out

over a rimmed baking sheet and season with the salt.

8. When the chicken has been in the oven for 35 minutes, put the potatoes in the oven and roast for

45 minutes, or until they start to look golden brown.

9. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven, tent it with foil (if it’s not already tented), and let

rest for 10 minutes.

10. Meanwhile, make the arugula salad: Place the arugula in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice, olive oil,

salt, and pepper and massage the dressing into the leaves.

11. Remove the potatoes from the oven. Carve the legs, thighs, and wings from the chicken, transfer to

an airtight container, and refrigerate to use for Meal 2 (it will keep for up to 5 days). Carve the chicken breasts from the chicken and divide them between two plates.

12. Serve the chicken with the potatoes and arugula salad alongside.

TIP

• Start working on the arugula salad once you’ve pulled the chicken out of the oven.

CALORIES: 400
FAT: 12.9G
CARBS: 25.8G
PROTEIN: 44.4G

MEAL 2: BUTTER CHICKEN BOWLS WITH WHITE RICE

Serves 2
Active time: 35 MINUTES
Total time: 40 MINUTES

1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon garam masala
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Cooked chicken legs, thighs, and wings (reserved from Meal 1), skin removed, cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) salted butter or ghee (see Tip)
1 tablespoon grated garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (from about 1/2 inch)
2 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes (from one 18-ounce can)
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 cup uncooked white rice, rinsed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the paprika, garam masala, coriander, cumin, turmeric, and salt. Add the chicken and toss to coat in the spice mixture.

2. In a large saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until fragrant but not browned.

3. Add the seasoned chicken to the pan, reserving any spice mixture left in the bowl, and sear, undisturbed, for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom, then stir and sear for 3 minutes more. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside on a plate.

4. In the same pan, whisk together the tomatoes, yogurt, cream, lemon juice, and any remaining spice mixture until combined. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes, until fragrant and slightly reduced in volume.

5. Meanwhile, cook the rice according to the package instructions.

6. Return the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 5 minutes more, then remove from the heat.

7. Serve the chicken over the rice, garnished with the cilantro.

TIPS

• Once you set the butter chicken to simmer in step 4, start the rice.

• Ghee (a clarified butter popular in Indian cooking) is sold in many large grocery stores—since it’s shelf stable, look for it in the baking aisle or the international foods aisle. It’s also available at Indian markets and health food stores, as well as online.

CALORIES: 756
FAT: 31.5G
CARBS: 71.5G
PROTEIN: 45.2G

From COOK ONCE DINNER FIX by Cassy Joy Garcia. Copyright © 2021 by Cassy Joy Garcia. Reprinted by permission of Simon & Schuster, Inc. All rights reserved.