Food52 A New Way to Dinner: A Playbook of Recipes and Strategies for the Week Ahead [A Cookbook] (Food52 Works) - Hardcover

Amanda Hesser is the co-founder of Food52 and was previously a writer and editor at the New York Times. She wrote the award-winning books Cooking for Mr. Latte and The Cook and the Gardener. Her last book, a Times bestseller and the winner of a James Beard Award, is The Essential New York Times Cookbook. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and twins.  

Merrill Stubbs is the co-founder of Food52 and has written for many food and lifestyle publications, including the New York Times. She cut her teeth in the test kitchen at Cook’s Illustrated and behind the counter at Flour Bakery in Boston before she worked with Amanda Hesser on The Essential New York Times Cookbook. She lives in Brooklyn with her husband and two children.

Rosy Chicken 

This dish was inspired by a recipe from Jamie Oliver for slow-roasted chicken legs with garlic, tomatoes, and chopped chiles. After devouring his version, I considered the thought that it might be even better with a sauce to spoon over rice or drag hunks of bread through. A rummage in the fridge unearthed a half-empty bottle of rosé from the night before, so I added a slosh or two. The garlic and tomatoes melted into the wine in the oven, and voilà, I had a fragrant pink sauce for my chicken. 

Wine Trade If you don’t have rosé, use a dry, fruity white wine instead. No one will know the difference. And if you open a bottle to make the dish, why not serve the rest of it with dinner?

A Rosé Dessert from Amanda “A good use of leftover rosé is to simmer it with sugar (4 parts rosé to 3 parts sugar) to make a syrup. Poach peaches or pears in the rosé syrup with a handful of fresh basil (which you already have on hand for the sausage ragù).” 

SERVES 4 FOR 2 DINNERS 
4 pounds (1.8kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or legs 
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 
2 large tomatoes (about 12 ounces), chopped 
2 cups (300g) cherry tomatoes 
3 thyme sprigs 
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes 
10 fresh basil leaves, chopped 
2⁄3 cup (160ml) dry, fruity rosé 
Rice, Oven- Roasted Polenta, or crusty bread for serving 

1. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. 

2. Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the garlic, and the chopped tomatoes in a baking dish large enough to hold all of the chicken in one layer. Arrange the chicken, skin side up, on top. Scatter the cherry tomatoes over the chicken, tucking them into the crevices wherever they’ll fit. 

3. Add the thyme sprigs to the dish and sprinkle the pepper flakes and basil evenly over the chicken, followed by more salt and pepper. Pour the rosé gently into the crevices, being careful not to splash the chicken. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil over everything. 

4. Bake the chicken, uncovered, until the skin is crisp and the tomatoes have slackened and started to caramelize, about 1 hour. 

5. If the sauce seems thin, transfer the chicken to a plate and turn up the heat for a few minutes; let the sauce boil until it thickens and becomes glossy. Discard the thyme sprigs, taste, and adjust the seasoning. 

6. Return the chicken to the sauce and let cool. Cover and refrigerate in the pan for up to 5 days. 

7. The day of: Reheat the chicken in the pan in a 250°F (120°C) oven for about 20 minutes. Serve with rice, polenta, or crusty bread.