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Day 282: Chicken with Yams

 We have been watching a lot of cooking shows here in the Distance, and my now-professional opinion is that Jacques Pepin remains a true treasure.  His most recent work, Cooking at Home, is super cozy and accessible, even more so than when he was in the studio.  Vanilla pudding for the soul, we say!

Before you read further, go take five minutes and watch Jacques prepare Chicken with Yams.  That is what we made tonight, with a few small tweaks.

  • Boneless/skinless thighs instead of bone-in;
  • I tossed in some light herbs/spices to the onions before deglazing:
    •  1 tsp of chopped fresh thyme (1/2 tsp if dry)
    •  A small shake of nutmeg
    •  A small shake of dry mustard (a dab of Dijon would also work);
  • Deglazed with chicken broth instead of white wine (about 1 cup altogether); and
  • At the end, I removed the chicken and veggie chunks and thickened the juice into a sauce:
    • Mixed some juice into 2 tsp cornstarch and then put it back in the pan
    • Added a dash of acid to cut through the rich chicken flavor (I used sherry vinegar, but any vinegar or lemon juice would work).
This was a delicious meal-in-a-bowl, that we will definitely be making again!  If you need some comfort food, highly recommended.

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