Name: Chicken Thighs with Rosemary Applesauce and Latkes
Total time: 50 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 8 (5- to 7-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed; 1¾ teaspoons table salt, divided; ½ teaspoon pepper; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil; ½ cup shredded onion, divided; 1½ teaspoons minced fresh rosemary; 2 cups chunky applesauce; 1 pound russet potatoes, peeled, shredded, and squeezed dry; ¼ cup all-purpose flour; 1 large egg, lightly beaten; 1 cup vegetable oil for frying

Why This Recipe Works

The classic Ashkenazi pairing of latkes and applesauce gets transformed into a complete dinner by braising chicken thighs directly in the applesauce. The applesauce functioned here as both a cooking medium and a sauce. Searing the chicken skin side down before it went into the oven jump-started browning and rendered some of the fat, which we then used to soften the onion and rosemary that flavors the applesauce. Minced fresh rosemary elevated store-bought applesauce, its piney, savory notes balancing the sweetness of the fruit and complementing the richness of the chicken. While the chicken finished cooking in the oven, the stovetop was free for frying the latkes, aiding our efforts to plate the dish in less than an hour.

Before You Begin

Shred the potatoes and onion separately on the large holes of a box grater or with the shredding disk of a food processor. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve with sour cream, if desired.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 425 degrees. Sprinkle chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Cook chicken, skin side down, until lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to plate.

Remove all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add ¼ cup onion, rosemary, and ¼ teaspoon salt and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in applesauce and bring to simmer. Pour applesauce into 13 by 9-inch baking pan. Nestle chicken into applesauce, skin side up. Roast until chicken registers at least 175 degrees, 15 to 17 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine potatoes, flour, egg, remaining ¼ cup onion, and remaining ½ teaspoon salt in bowl. Heat 1 cup oil in clean, dry nonstick skillet over medium-high heat to 325 degrees. Place four ¼-cup portions of potato mixture in skillet and flatten into 4-inch disks with fork. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer latkes to paper towel–lined plate. Repeat with remaining potato mixture. Season latkes with salt to taste. Serve chicken with latkes and applesauce.