Cooking in Quarantine: Lark’s Mustard Chicken Is An Instant Classic

It’s going on who-knows-how-many-days of quarantine and we figure that, like us, you are tired of your own cooking. We asked local chefs to share some of their favorite safe-at-home foods to cook during the isolation period. Interested in submitting a recipe? Email chelsea.lin@tigeroak.com.

“One upside of our current situation is we’re closed Sunday and Monday, so having an almost real weekend to look forward to which really helps. I still go in for a couple of hours on Monday to make pizza dough and do some ordering, but the rest of the week isn’t too bad in terms of hours worked. Most days I’m home by 8:30 p.m.. We’re all pretty stressed, so sleep isn’t too good. My yard is looking the best it’s been in years.

JM and I take turns cooking; sometimes we cook homey favorites like Aunt Laura’s spaghetti or chicken and dumplings, playing to our 16-year old. Maybe once a week, we cook something more ambitious. I’ve been missing the bright and bold flavors of Little Uncle a lot lately, so lemongrass chile pork chops are on deck tonight. It’s hard to plan for more than the week ahead, personally. I know there will be a vacation boom, but when? I’m ready to book a getaway!. And there will be a boom for the restaurants. We’re hopeful, but mostly feel like it’s going to be a slow grind back to ‘normal.’ 

We’re offering ‘From Lark’s Kitchen To Yours’ meals for curbside pick up Tue—Sat. We have two full meal options that change weekly and come with heat-at-home instructions, plus wine and a few food add-ons.            

 At Slab, we have great lunch options Tue—Fri from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Thursday is now Burger Mania. It’s the Lark burger with fries. I suggest pre-ordering. Southpaw Pizza has the full menu for pickup or delivery from 5 p.m.—8 p.m. Tue—Sat, plus growler fill up and bottles of wine for $10.

We’re also doing a special feed the hospital workers for $18 (10 or more) from Slab or Southpaw and adding a handwritten note thanking them for all they’re doing for the community. It’s total comfort food, and we need that now!”

—John Sundstrom is a James Beard Award-winning Seattle chef and the author of Lark: Cooking Against the Grain, which was awarded an IACP Judges Choice Award, and Lark: Cooking Wild in the Northwest. Known for his thoughtful use of foraged and wild ingredients, in 2003, two years after being named one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs in America, Sundstrom opened Lark in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. In late 2014, he opened Slab Sandwiches + Pie. In December, Southpaw Pizza, Sundstrom’s foray into wood-fired pizza, opened in the original Lark space.

 

 

 

Mustard-Roasted Chicken, Drippings Potatoes, and Sautéed Chard from Lark

“At Lark, we use a rotisserie to cook the chicken, with the pan of potatoes placed underneath to catch those delicious drippings. If you have a rotisserie attachment for your grill, I suggest giving it a try—it’s a showstopper!”

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

• ½ cup dry white wine
• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup whole grain mustard
• 3 tablespoons minced shallot, divided
• Leaves from 3 sprigs thyme
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 whole chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 bunch rainbow chard, washed, stemmed, and leaves cut into 3-inch- wide strips
• ½ lemon

Process:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the wine, mustards, and 2 tablespoons of the shallot. Add the thyme and 1 tablespoon of the oil.

Truss the chicken with kitchen string.

Reserve ¼ cup of the mustard marinade and rub the rest evenly all over the chicken. The chicken can be roasted right away or refrigerated until ready to cook. If chilled, be sure to leave it out at room temperature for about 30 minutes before roasting. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large cast-iron skillet, toss the potatoes with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Arrange the potatoes in the pan so that they slightly overlap, like shingles. Place the chicken on top of the potatoes and put the skillet in the oven. Roast for about 30 minutes, then brush the reserved marinade onto the chicken. Continue to roast the chicken for about another 30 minutes or until the juices run clear. Insert a meat thermometer at the thickest part of the thigh; the chicken is ready when it reads 180 degrees F. Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken rest for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.

Meanwhile, prepare the chard. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the remaining one tablespoon of shallot and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until softened and just golden. Add the chard and sauté until lightly wilted. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the chard and toss to incorporate. Adjust seasoning to taste.

To Serve:

Spoon the chard onto a serving platter. Using a Microplane, zest the lemon half over the chard. Carve the chicken and serve it with the drippings potatoes.