Welcome! You’re At Isabelle’s—home to all things tasteful and tasty.
You know how some people say they never wear the exact same outfit twice? That’s how I feel about cooking. I don’t have many things I make regularly, but this is one of the exceptions.
Chicken thighs start skin-side down in a cold pan (yes, cold). As the pan heats up, the fat slowly renders out. Leave them undisturbed until they release easily and you’re rewarded with beautifully crispy skin. Then use that rendered fat to crisp the cabbage and rice, and finish everything off in the oven. The thighs stay seared and juicy, the cabbage and rice get crispy on the bottom but tender on top, and it makes excellent leftovers. I highly recommend serving it with a little salted yogurt on the side and cold seasoned cucumbers
I make it often, but since I wasn’t planning on sharing it on Substack, I didn’t mark down exact amounts or cook times. So consider this a “rough recipe”!
Recipe
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
4–6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Salt and pepper
1 onion, thinly sliced
3 cups shredded cabbage
2 tbsp za’atar
1 cup cooked rice
4–6 mini cucumbers
1/2 cup plain yogurt
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken thighs dry and season all over with salt and pepper. Place them skin-side down in a large, cold pan. Set the pan over medium heat and cook, undisturbed, until the thighs release easily from the pan and the skin is deeply golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer the thighs to a plate, skin-side up, and set aside.
Add the onion to the same pan (it should now have plenty of rendered chicken fat). Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned. Add the cabbage and 1 tbsp za’atar and stir to coat. Cook for a few minutes, until the cabbage has softened, then add the cooked rice and the remaining 1 tbsp za’atar and stir to combine. Spread the cabbage and rice into an even layer and gently pat it down to encourage crisping. Let it cook mostly undisturbed so the bottom can crisp.
Once the cabbage and rice are hot and starting to crisp in spots, nestle the chicken thighs skin-side up into the cabbage and rice mixture. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, use the side of a knife to lightly smack the mini cucumbers so they split open. Roughly chop into bite-size pieces and season with salt and pepper. Season the yogurt with a good pinch of salt as well.
Remove the pan from the oven. Serve the chicken thighs over the crispy cabbage and rice, with the seasoned cucumbers and salted yogurt on the side.
That’s all for now! See you next time At Isabelle’s.