Chicken with Cream Sauce, Roasted Arrowhead Cabbage & Tallow-Roasted New Potatoes

Crisp-Skinned Chicken Thighs

Rendering the skin in a skillet gives the chicken a crisp, deeply browned surface and leaves flavorful fond for the cream sauce.

Ingredients

• 4 large boneless, skin-on chicken thighs, about 1¾–2 pounds total
• 1¼ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or about half as much fine salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp ghee

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken very dry, trim loose flaps of skin, and season both sides with salt and pepper.
2. Heat the ghee in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Lay the chicken skin-side down and press gently for the first 30 seconds to establish even contact.
3. Cook skin-side down for 8–12 minutes, until the fat has rendered and the skin is deep golden. Adjust the heat down if the browned residue in the pan starts turning black.
4. Turn the thighs and transfer the skillet to the oven for 6–10 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 170–175°F; begin checking early for smaller thighs.
5. Transfer to a warm plate and rest uncovered for 5 minutes. Reserve the skillet and any resting juices for the sauce.

Notes

• Skin-on bone-in thighs also work; allow roughly 15–25 minutes in the oven after searing and check the temperature away from the bone.

Shallot, Thyme & Cream Pan Sauce

Wine loosens the chicken fond and brings acidity, while reduced cream supplies body without a flour thickener.

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp rendered chicken fat reserved from the chicken skillet
• 1 small shallot, finely minced
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced
• ⅓ cup dry white wine
• ½ cup unsalted gluten-free chicken stock
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
• to taste kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the chicken skillet, keeping the brown fond but removing any blackened fragments. Let the skillet cool briefly before returning it to medium-low heat.
2. Add the shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic for 30 seconds.
3. Add the wine and scrape up the fond. Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half.
4. Add the stock, cream, and thyme. Simmer gently for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon but still flows easily.
5. Stir in the chicken resting juices. Remove from the heat, add the lemon juice, and adjust salt and pepper.

Notes

• If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with a splash of stock or water. Add lemon off heat and avoid a hard boil afterward.

Roasted Arrowhead Cabbage

Keeping the core attached holds the leaves together, allowing the cut surface to caramelize while the interior becomes tender and sweet.

Ingredients

• 2 small heads arrowhead cabbage, about 2 pounds total
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions

1. Remove damaged outer leaves and halve each cabbage lengthwise through the core. Trim only the tough end so the halves remain intact.
2. Rub the cabbage all over with olive oil, working some between the outer leaves. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange cut-side down on a metal baking sheet. Roast at 425°F for 20–25 minutes, until the undersides are golden brown.
4. Turn cut-side up and roast for another 10–15 minutes, until a knife slips easily through the thick base and the outer leaf tips are charred.
5. Drizzle the cut faces with lemon juice just before serving.

Notes

• If using one large cabbage, cut it into four core-attached wedges. If the leaves darken before the core is tender, cover loosely with foil for the remaining roasting time.

Tallow-Roasted New Potatoes

A short parboil gives the potatoes tender centers before roasting. Hot tallow and good pan contact produce golden cut faces without drying out the skins.

Ingredients

• 1½ lb new potatoes, halved or quartered into roughly 1½-inch pieces
• 3 tbsp beef tallow
• 1 tbsp kosher salt, for the boiling water
• ¾ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for roasting
• ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and add the boiling-water salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 7–10 minutes, until the outside yields to a knife but the centers remain firm.
2. Drain thoroughly and let steam-dry for 5 minutes.
3. Place the tallow on a heavy rimmed baking sheet and heat in the 425°F oven for 3 minutes, until melted.
4. Carefully add the dry potatoes and toss with the hot tallow, roasting salt, and pepper. Arrange in a single layer with a cut face against the pan.
5. Roast for 30–40 minutes, turning after about 25 minutes, until the cut surfaces are golden and the centers are creamy. Taste and adjust the salt.

Notes

• Use a separate tray from the cabbage so moisture from the leaves does not soften the potatoes.

Overall Timing / Workflow

The potatoes and cabbage share a hot oven, while the chicken finishes late enough to provide fresh pan drippings for the sauce.

Instructions

1. 0:00 — Heat the oven to 425°F with racks in the upper and lower thirds. Start parboiling the potatoes, then prepare the cabbage, shallot, garlic, and herbs.
2. 0:20 — Toss the drained, steam-dried potatoes with hot tallow and put them in the oven. Add the cabbage on a separate tray.
3. 0:25 — Pat dry and season the chicken, then begin searing it.
4. 0:40 — Turn the cabbage and check the potatoes. Transfer the seared chicken skillet to the oven, making space alongside a vegetable tray.
5. 0:50 — Begin checking the chicken temperature. Remove the vegetables as they become tender and browned; leave them uncovered to preserve their edges.
6. While the chicken rests, make the cream sauce in its skillet. If necessary, return the potatoes to the oven for a few minutes to refresh their crust before serving.

Notes

• Rotate the vegetable trays between racks if they are browning unevenly.

Plating

Keeping most of the sauce beneath the chicken preserves its browned skin and leaves the cabbage and potatoes distinct.

Ingredients

• ¼ cup flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

Instructions

1. Spoon a shallow pool of cream sauce onto each warm plate and place a chicken thigh over it, skin-side up.
2. Set a roasted cabbage half alongside the chicken and arrange the potatoes at the top or opposite side of the plate.
3. Spoon a little extra sauce around the chicken rather than covering all its skin. Scatter parsley over the chicken and potatoes and serve immediately.

Leftover Path

Separate storage lets the potatoes and cabbage re-crisp while the cream sauce reheats gently.

Instructions

1. Refrigerate the chicken, sauce, and vegetables in separate covered containers within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days.
2. Reheat the chicken, cabbage, and potatoes on a baking sheet at 375°F, checking after 15 minutes. Heat the chicken to 165°F; cover it loosely if the skin becomes too dark.
3. Warm the sauce over low heat, stirring in a little water or stock to restore its flowing consistency. Avoid a hard boil.
4. For another meal, slice the cabbage and chicken, crisp the potatoes in the oven, and finish everything with the warmed sauce and fresh parsley.