One-Pan Paprika Chicken with Lentils, Squash and Daqa | Yotam Ottolenghi

When Yotam Ottolenghi has a secret to share on a great sheet-pan chicken, I listen, take note and execute. I have nothing but the highest compliment about this dish. I like it so much that I must have made the one-pan paprika chicken with lentils and squash for dinner numerous time, making it the most popular dish in our home this winter.

These are the reasons for its popularity:

• The efficiency and the benefit of a one-pan approach is real.
• The cooking method is roasting. Ingredients are added in phases. The focus is on timing.
• The crispiness of the chicken skin is superb due to the high initial oven temperature.
• All the food groups: protein, veggies and legume are well represented.
• The golden brown of the finished chicken thighs is visually stunning.
• The lentils on the bottom of the pan, combining with the chicken fat, turns into a flavorful sauce.
• The herb-cream mix and daqa add another dimension of complex flavor.

There are no other dishes like it since I started experimenting in my test kitchen. It’s a rarity to see a simple chicken dish come together so brilliantly and produce layers of complex flavor, Yet there is a certain ease in working through the interim steps. Yotam Ottolenghi did it again; his creativity and talent in recipe writing truly wow us. There is not much anyone around the table needs to say while absorbed in savoring every bite. Satisfied!

On a side note, stick with French green lentils. Other lentils don’t quite work the same way.

Print Recipe

One-Pan Paprika Chicken with Lentils, Squash and Daqa

By Yotam Ottolenghi – Serves: 6

This oven bake requires minimal effort and is very much a meal in itself. Daqa is a vinegar-based condiment, most commonly used when making the much-loved Egyptian koshari, a hearty dish of rice, pasta and lentils. Daqa is a nifty way to brighten stews, braises and anything that needs an acidic lift. Feel free to swap out the kabocha squash for root vegetables, such as sweet potato or celery root, and serve the whole thing with nothing more than a leafy green salad.

Ingredients

• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2¼ pounds)
• ¾ pound skin-on kabocha squash, seeds removed, cut into about 6 (1-inch-thick) wedges
• 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons ground sweet paprika
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Fine sea salt
• 2 small yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, lightly toasted
• 8 ounces/1 heaping cup (uncooked) French green lentils, rinsed
• 2 cups chicken stock
• ¾ cup sour cream
• ¼ cup finely chopped chives
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill, plus 1 tablespoon picked leaves for serving
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar

Instructions

1

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

2

SEASON THE CHICKEN & SQUASH: In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, squash, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 tablespoon oil and 1 teaspoon salt; set aside.

3

ROAST AROMATICS AND SPICE: Place the onions, 2 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon salt and the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and 2 teaspoons paprika in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and mix to combine. Roast for 10 minutes, stirring halfway.

4

ROAST THE CHICKEN, SQUASH WITH AROMATICS: Roast the unions until they are lightly colored. Then stir in the lentils, chicken stock and 1 cup of water. Arrange the squash wedges and the chicken, skin-side up, on top and roast for another 20 minutes, until the chicken skin is deeply golden.

5

Turn the oven down to 350 degrees and cook for another 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the squash is nicely softened.

6

MAKE THE HERB-CREAM MIX: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the sour cream, chives and dill; set aside.

7

MAKE THE DAQA: Mix the remaining garlic (1 glove) and cumin (1/2 teaspoon) with the vinegar (3 tablespoons), sugar (1/2 teaspoon), ¼ teaspoon salt and 2 tablespoons of water.

8

SERVE: When ready, remove the bake from the oven and top with spoonfuls of the sour cream mixture. Pour over the daqa and sprinkle with the extra dill. Serve hot, straight out of the baking dish.

Notes

https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023810-one-pan-paprika-chicken-with-lentils-squash-and-daqa