day three of shelter-in-place

it’s day three of shelfter-in-place. I don’t hate my roommates just yet but I cooked a whole chicken today.

it’s day three of San Francisco’s shelter-in-place order. my roommates and I don’t hate each other yet but I did cook a whole chicken today.

it wasn’t a whole chicken roast, because I don’r rate roast chicken (unpopular opinion but a hill I’m willing to stand on) but I bought cut up chicken pieces from Trader Joes luckily before the hoarders-du-jour (yes, I made this up) arrived. I marinated these bad boys in a jus of thyme & rosemary, Spanish smoked paprika, Calabrian fermented hot chilli peppers, soy sauce and a touch of turmeric for twelve hours.

did I measure the seasoning? uhh, nope

I free-handed because my ancestors whisper into my ears when I season any food: “that’s enough, my son” 🤷🏽‍♂️.

what’s next for this seared chicken, you ask?

Going to make a layered but FIERY sauce to coat the caramelized outsides of the chicken. I’ll layer the heat with four kinds of peppers — habaneros for that fruity but rasping heat, jalapenos because I have them, red peppers for colour and immune-boosting effects — we are in a pandemic, lest we forget, and more of the aforementioned fermented Calabrian peppers.

I’ll start the sauce off with my aromatics — garlic and shallots. Get some colour on them and then sweat the peppers off. after a check for seasoning and another glass of wine for myself, I’ll orchestrate the marriage we’ve all been waiting for — seared, moist, flavoursome, marinated chicken meet your lover, garlicky, fiery, sweet sauce (sans tomatoes).

turn the lights (or heat) down low and let the newlyweds get to know each other for bit.

voila, there you have it.

that’s dinner. actually, it’s dinners. remember we cooked a lot of chicken. I would offer you some but you’re also in isolation. so I guess I’m eating 3000 calories today since the CDC has basically called off Summer Body 2020.

wait, before you leave!

I didn’t talk about garnishing.

there’s a reason for that.

I’m torn between parsley (pretty but tasteless to me at least) and cilantro (tasteful but not the prettiest).

what do you think I should garnish this dish with? let me know in the comments

PS — there are no heroes or heroines in this story but I got paged while I was writing this so do with that whatever you wish.