no. 118: za’atar chicken thighs with couscous, dates, and pistachios
Plus, my TOP 3 BITES in NYC!!
Today’s newsletter is coming to you from the NINTH bed of my 24-night trip to New York. Most of my accommodations for this trip were arranged as the trip unfolded, and as I look back now at my itinerary, I do feel an odd sense of pride for what I was able to accomplish here.
I slept in everything from twin beds to king beds, there was one bunk bed (which will remain anonymous), an air mattress, and even a water bed (JK, that would be insane). I stayed with old friends and new friends and even some blood relatives, and I am grateful for them all. Here’s the official breakdown of where I rested my head:
Life Hotel in Manhattan (1 night): FREE thanks to my friend’s employer
Airbnb in Rhinebeck (2 nights): $245
Alexis’ house in upstate NY (2 nights): FREE
Courtney’s apartment in Park Slope (3 nights): FREE
Julie and Amy’s house on Long Island (2 nights): FREE
Ruthie’s apartment in Prospect Lefferts Gardens (3 nights): FREE
Rebecca and Colter’s apartment in Harlem (4 nights): FREE and they paid me $100 to watch their dog
Gaby’s apartment in Carroll Gardens (4 nights): FREE
Airbnb in the Catskills (3 nights): FREE (my dad paid for it)
To summarize, I paid $245 for one AirBnb, but received a $100 stipend from one accommodation for my award-winning dog sitting services, which means I paid $145 in total for my 24-night excursion. This puts me at $6.04 per night. This, my friends, is the power of social capital.
Mind you, this all came at the cost of re-packing my bag every 2-3 days and then lugging it up many, many flights of stairs and across many train platforms. One perk of this chaotic schedule was that I got to stay in parts of the city that I’ve barely explored, and I got to compare the softness of different sheets and the comfort level of different mattresses. Now, all my friends’ in New York who I am indebted to are going to come stay with me in LA because I am an even better host than I am a guest.
I am VERY excited to nose dive into the bed of all beds…MY bed!!!! In Los Angeles!!! In MY apartment!!! With Pepper!! My month in New York has been so, so fun, but HOME is calling.
I did want to take a moment to crown my TOP 3 BITES from this go around in New York City.
The Burger at Swoony’s: The best bite I took in NYC was the burger at Swoony’s, a cozy restaurant in Cobble Hill (that is randomly owned by Tracy Morgan??). I am usually not a smash burger girl but this one was pickle-y and saucy and the edges of the patty were delightfully crispy. Highly recommend.
The Mussel Toast at Cecily: My friend Megan told me this toast is a big deal and she was RIGHT. Saucy and garlicky and pork-y and, you know what? I just may have to recreate it.
Sausage and Ricotta Slice at L’industrie: I’ll admit that I kind of stumbled into this when I was hungry and wandering aimlessly in the West Village, not fully realizing that L’industrie is very much a thing. I bravely committed to a short line and it was very much worth it.
Delicious bites aside, here’s a product I’ve been into this week!
& Other Stories Relaxed Fit Knit Sweater
I have not done a ton of shopping on this trip, but I did purchase this sweater and have proceeded to wear it for the last 5 days straight. It’s so soft (I cannot do an itchy sweater) and feels very high quality (for $59!) I didn’t own a good black sweater and now I do! It’s available in a bunch of colors so I may snag another.
One Skillet Za’atar Chicken Thighs With Pearl Couscous
Serves: 4-6
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 40 minutes
As you can tell, I have not been home developing recipes, so I’m reaching into the archive for this week’s recipe. Fall cooking is HERE and this is a cozy, easy dish to get back in the weeknight swing of things. This would be great for Rosh Hashanah, too.
If you’ve never cooked with za’atar before, it’s earthy, nutty, and great on chicken, fish, vegetables, grains—anything. I like this one. Trader Joe’s also makes a good one. You can also make your own za’atar mix.
I love pearl (Israeli) couscous because it is the textural equivalent to Dippin’ Dots. It’s available in most grocery stores next to the rice (though it is technically PASTA), but if you can’t find it, orzo or any long grain rice will do.
If you don’t have a thermometer to check the internal temperature of the thighs, you can always cut through the largest thigh and make sure there’s no pink in the center.
¼ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons za’atar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
2 ½ pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (4-6 thighs)
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
½ medium yellow onion or fennel bulb (or a mix of the two), finely chopped
1 ¼ cup pearl (Israeli) couscous or orzo
¼ cup chopped dates, about 3-4 large, pitted dates
⅓ cup chopped pistachios, for garnish
Fresh parsley, dill, fennel fronds and/or mint, for garnish
Crumbled feta cheese, for garnish
Pomegranate seeds, for garnish (optional)
In a large bowl, mix olive oil with za’atar and lemon zest to make paste. Add chicken thighs and toss to coat (easiest to use your hands to coat the thighs with the za’atar mixture). Let sit at least 10 minutes, or refrigerate overnight. Meanwhile, prep the rest of your ingredients.
Preheat a 10- or 12-inch deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid or Dutch oven over medium heat. Transfer chicken thighs to a plate or sheet pan and generously season on all sides with kosher salt.
Add chicken thighs to the preheated pan, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden brown and they have rendered plenty of fat, 8-10 minutes. Remove to a plate, skin side up (they’re not fully cooked at this point). Keep the rendered chicken fat and residual za’atar in the skillet.
Add fennel and/or onion to the rendered chicken fat and cook until softened, 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add couscous, generously coating it with the fat in the pan. Cook until lightly toasted, 2 minutes.
Add 1 ½ cups water, dates, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and gently mix to evenly disperse. Return chicken to skillet, skin side up. Increase heat to medium high and bring liquid to a boil. Once boiling, cover and reduce to low. Cook until couscous is tender and chicken registers an internal temperature of 165°F, 18-20 minutes.
Remove cover and squeeze lemon juice over the thighs and the couscous. Garnish with pistachios, pomegranate seeds, feta cheese, fresh herbs, and more za’atar. Serve immediately. Leftovers will keep in an airtight container up to 5 days.