Bay Leaf Chicken With Orange Parsley Salad
In this quick-cooking dinner, boneless chicken thighs are marinated with bay leaves, mustard seeds, orange zest and Worcestershire sauce, and roasted at high heat until golden-edged and juicy. Then, just before serving, it all gets topped with an herb salad flecked with sweet oranges. It’s light, fresh and very savory. You can substitute boneless chicken breasts instead, just halve them crosswise before marinating, and start checking them after 12 minutes of roasting.
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 6fresh bay leaves, torn (or use 3 dried bay leaves)
- 2fat garlic cloves, finely grated or minced
- 2tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1teaspoon kosher salt
- 1teaspoon brown mustard seeds
- 1teaspoon finely grated orange zest (reserve orange for salad)
- 1teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½teaspoon ground cumin
- ¼teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 ¾pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1orange
- 1bunch parsley, leaves only
- 2scallions, thinly sliced
- 1tablespoon rice-wine vinegar, plus more to taste
- 1small garlic clove, finely grated or minced
- ½teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
Step 1
In a large bowl, mix together bay leaves, garlic, oil, salt, mustard seeds, orange zest, Worcestershire sauce, cumin and coriander. Add chicken and turn to coat, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour and up to overnight.Step 2
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Arrange chicken in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet, spooning marinade on top. Drizzle with more oil, then roast until chicken is cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes.Step 3
Meanwhile, make the salad: Cut off top and bottom of the orange so it can stand on a flat side, then cut away the white pith and rind to expose the fruit. Slice away the segments away from the membrane, then chop segments into 1/2-inch pieces.Step 4
In a large bowl, combine orange pieces and any juices from the cutting board, parsley and scallions.Step 5
In a medium bowl, whisk together vinegar, garlic and salt. When chicken is done, transfer to a serving plate and scrape all the chicken drippings from pan into the vinegar mixture. Whisk together to combine, then drizzle vinegar over oranges and greens. Toss to combine and add more vinegar and salt to taste. Serve chicken topped with orange-greens mixture.