There are words in food writing that pack more power than others. Crispy, creamy, crunchy — those are big — but I also like “smashed,” as in smashed burgers, smashed cucumbers, smashed pickle salad. “Double” is another; If you love garlic, lemon or chocolate, you can close your eyes and imagine the potency of double garlic mashed potatoes, double lemon chicken or double chocolate chip cookies.
Then there is the Yiddish word “schmaltzy,” which has two meanings: slicked with rendered chicken fat (technically, any poultry fat); and overly sentimental, with high notes and big strings. It’s an over-the-top word with a showbiz quality to it. A schmaltzy chicken is a chicken doing a tap routine with a feather boa; it’s going to give you big flavor whether you like it or not. Personally, I like it.
So, without further ado, I’ve got Melissa Clark’s new recipe for skillet chicken thighs with schmaltzy tomatoes just for you. The caramelized pan drippings you get from roasting chicken thighs are tossed with the tomatoes, making them saltier and juicier. That recipe is below, along with four other possible dinners for the week.
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I’m also making:
1. Skillet Chicken Thighs With Schmaltzy Tomatoes
Melissa Clark’s new recipe is easy-peasy, but if you’re in a rush or are not much of a lemon zester, you can skip Steps 1 and 2, season the chicken with just salt and still land on a very good meal.
2. Sticky Miso Salmon Bowl
The word “sticky” in the title of Andy Baraghani’s new recipe is extremely delicious, as is this weeknight dinner that combines grapefruit with honey, miso and ginger for a combination marinade and glaze. This is a remarkably fast way to do a lovely dinner.
3. Basil-Butter Pasta
I’m a big proponent of pesto and its transformative powers when it’s added to a dish. But what if you just made basil butter — no nuts, garlic or cheese — and tossed it with steaming pasta? Ali Slagle has done it, and her recipe is a must for lovers of sweet summer basil.
4. Grilled Shrimp With Spicy Slaw
Summer ease, from Yossy Arefi: Quickly grill shrimp (or sear them on the stove, or substitute chicken or tofu). Then make a dressing with orange and lime juices, honey and jalapeño. Combine with sliced cabbage, maybe mango slivers. Eat!
5. Broccoli Korma
Broccoli can be luxurious — just simmer the florets in coconut milk, which Zainab Shah deepens here with a tablespoon of almond butter, then adds zip with ginger and garlic. Eat with rice or roti, or both.
We wrote a cookbook! “Easy Weeknight Dinners: 100 Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals for Busy People Who Still Want Something Good to Eat” comes out on Oct. 8. Preorder it now.
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