A Few Notes and an Amazing Recipe

A few notes from this past week before I post the best meal I think I have ever made...if not...it's certainly a contender! I feel awful for bragging about it, especially since Jason's not here.

Note #1 - Layla came to me and said she wanted to clean the playroom by herself. I asked was this your idea...or Ava's? Her response..."I want to clean the playroom by myself. Ava said that I need to be nice to her or she will be mean to me for the rest of her life. So I'm being nice and cleaning the playroom."

Can you guess what comes next? Ava is really giving me a run for my money.

Note #2 - Layla had bloodwork done again on Thursday, the second time in a week and a half. She ROCKED it AGAIN! No fear and even laughed throughout. She is the biggest trooper I know. I still flinch when I have to get bloodwork done. It's simply not fun...but Layla has no fear.

Note # 3 - Don't wash the dog's beds. If you do, the next morning Mabel will get upset that you let Stella outside before she gets to and run back to their beds and relieve herself. She's a bitch.

Note # 4 - Speaking of Mabel, she got out of the house today by pushing her way through the front door as Ava was walking out. I run to grab the leash, ready for a battle. But, I didn't have to go far. Mabel ran next door, and just stood looking into their house. Two Boxers live next door and Mabel "plays" with them by running and jumping the fence line pretending to play with them. I think all she wanted to do was actually play with them! The Dad said he was scared to death when he saw Mabel at the door, but the daughter, who is 12, ran right outside and held onto her collar as I was running up. Poor Mabel...she just wants friends!

I think that is all I have for now...unless you want to hear about my Spring cleaning and cleaning out closets. Didn't think so.

So back to the dinner. I might be naive, but I have never heard of a bread salad before. And this from someone who LOVES to make bread. When I came upon the recipe yesterday, I HAD to make it. The acidity of the vinegar used, muted by the bread and the simplicity of the chicken...I don't know what it was, but it was the perfect blend of everything I love.

Crispy Chicken Thighs & Warm Bread Salad
Adapted from The Kitchn  (My changes are in parenthesis)
Serves 2 to 4

For the chicken:
6 whole (bone-in, skin-on) chicken thighs (I used Boneless, Skinless, it's what I had in the freezer)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil (I used Grapeseed Oil)

For the bread salad:
1 (16-ounce) loaf day-old sourdough bread, torn into bite-sized pieces (I used homemade French Bread that I had made 2 days earlier)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup red wine vinegar, plus additional to taste (I had enough red wine vinegar for the initial tossing, but used white wine vinegar to deglaze the pan)
3 tablespoons olive oil (Again, used Grapeseed Oil)
Reserved chicken drippings
3 tablespoons toasted pine nuts
1 cup packed arugula (I used fresh spinach)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

For the chicken, preheat oven to 475°F. Pat the chicken completely dry and season generously with salt and pepper.

In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, heat the oil over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add chicken to the skillet, skin side down, and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-high and continue cooking the chicken until the fat is rendered and the skin is crisp and golden brown, approximately 12 minutes.

Move the skillet to the oven and cook the chicken, still skin side down, for 13 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, until chicken is cooked through. Remove chicken from the oven to a separate bowl and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes, reserving any leftover juices to add to the bread salad. Leave the oven on at 475°F.

While the chicken is resting, begin preparing the bread salad. In a large bowl, toss the bread pieces with melted butter until evenly coated. Spread the bread onto a baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 8 minutes. (Bread can also be toasted ahead of time and re-warmed for 5 minutes in a warm oven just before serving.) (I also sliced up a shallot and added it to the bread while it was toasting.)

In the same large bowl used for the bread, whisk the red wine vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Return the warm, toasted bread to the bowl and toss with the vinaigrette until completely combined.

Set the skillet used to roast the chicken (with the pan drippings and tasty chicken fat!) over low heat. Stir in a few more tablespoons of red wine vinegar, if desired, making sure to scrape any golden bits from the bottom of the pan. Transfer the warm drippings to a pourable container.

Add a few tablespoons of warm pan drippings, the pine nuts, and arugula to the bowl with the bread pieces, and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, add more pan drippings if desired, and adjust any flavorings to taste. (I use all of the pan drippings because I like my bread salad chewy and rich, and I add a bit more vinegar as well, because I love LOTS of tang.)

Arrange the bread salad on a large serving platter. Nestle the chicken thighs, either left whole or shredded, on top and serve immediately.