gingery brothy grains with crispy chicken and spring greens
These brothy grains are the perfect thing to eat when you want something cozy in springtime - meaning they are warm and gentle, but also light, fresh and green. Using ginger twice, fresh in the grains and pickled as a garnish, might seem like overkill but they serve different purposes. Fresh ginger adds a layer of lightness and just a little spice. Adding pickled ginger and the pickling brine at the end gives a little balanced acidity and brightness. This whole situation is kind of like being perfectly bundled up on the couch without ever actually getting too warm.
yield 4 servings
brothy grains
1 cup whole grains such as farro, wheatberries or barley
1 shallot, quartered
1 stalk celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 T olive oil
1 2x2” square kombu
3 T bonito flakes
2 ts soy sauce, plus more
2 T grated fresh ginger
2 ts mirin
1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed, cut into 1/4-inch coins
1 small bunch tatsoi, leaves separated, larger leaves torn
chicken
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
salt and pepper
1 T neutral oil
garnish
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
1 T pickled ginger, finely chopped, or more to taste
1-2 T pickled ginger brine
riffing
substitute pea leaves, torn bok choy leaves or spinach for tatsoi
add a dried shiitake (or other!) mushroom if you don’t have bonito flakes
use shaoxing wine or a pinch of sugar and 2 teaspoons vermouth or white wine if you don’t have mirin
recipe prep
Preheat oven to 475F.
Bring grains, shallot, celery, garlic, olive oil, kombu, bonito flakes and 6 cups of water to a boil in a medium pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Reduce heat and gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until grains are tender, 25–30 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons soy sauce, fresh ginger and mirin. Taste and season with more soy sauce as needed. Turn off heat, remove kombu and cover the pot.
While the grains simmer, pat chicken thighs dry. Season chicken generously with kosher salt and pepper. Heat oil in a cast-iron or heavy oven-safe skillet over high heat until hot (but not smoking!). Place chicken thighs in the skillet, skin side down, and cook for 2 minutes, making sure to unfold any extra skin so it touches the pan. Reduce heat to medium-high and continue cooking skin side down, occasionally rearranging chicken thighs and rotating pan as needed to evenly distribute heat, until fat renders and skin is golden brown, about 12 minutes.
Transfer skillet to oven and cook for 12 more minutes. Then, flip chicken and continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through (at least 160F at the deepest point), about 5-8 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate and let rest 5 minutes before handling. Using a fork, very roughly shred chicken (and crispy skin shards!). Reserve for serving.
Once the chicken is out of the oven, return the grain pot to medium-low heat. Add asparagus and tatsoi, stirring until asparagus is slightly softened and tatsoi has gently wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Divide grains and broth between 4 bowls and top with shredded crispy chicken. Garnish with shallot slices, cilantro, pickled ginger and ginger brine.
