The score·Named
Rosemary chicken
The one with the rosemary you forgot was in the drawer.
He found the rosemary in the drawer. That is when the riffing started.
He did not follow it. He riffed. Rosemary, then something I had not thought of.
One plate
the thigh, more pan sauce
The other
the smaller piece, extra lemon
weeknight·about 40 minutes·first sat with this Saturday, November 8
About this much
Adjust until it feels right.
- About two chicken thighs — whatever is in the fridge
- A handful of rosemary, if it is still in the drawer
- Salt, more than you think
- A lemon, or the end of one
- A knob of butter at the end, or skip it
Play it
A suggestion, not a command.
- 01Pat the chicken dry. Do not rush this.
- 02A hot pan. Oil until it shimmers — not until a timer says so.
- 03Lay the chicken in and leave it. The skin will tell you when it is ready.
- 04Rosemary in near the end, so it stays a perfume, not a bitter.
- 05A squeeze of lemon at the table. Adjust until it feels right.
Other nights
Saturday, May 2
Same chicken. Different night. He added the lemon at the table without comment.
Riff: Lemon at the table, not in the pan.
Saturday, November 8
He opened the drawer for a spoon and found the rosemary. He threw it in without asking. That is when the riffing started.
Riff: Rosemary from the drawer, at the end, not the beginning.