When I was seven years old, we lived in Elmhurst, Queens, surrounded by different cultures. We lived in what’s called a three-family house, which is simply a brownstone separated into three apartments, one per floor. The family upstairs was Indian and the family downstairs was Chinese. Our friends in the building to the left of us were from Afghanistan and told us stories of how they escaped their nation’s civil war. Our Italian friend across the street talked about his Sicilian grandmother and the desserts she made. The little Iranian girl who lived in the building to the right of us was Jussie’s first crush. Of course we all played together; there were no boundaries. Our favorite game was stickball. We played in the middle of the street and looked out for each other by yelling “car!” as a signal to clear out of the street every time we’d see a car coming. As kids, we didn’t care about the differences between us; we cherished the stories we shared about our lives and the different foods we tried while at each other’s houses. This particular dish came about from a meal we had at a friend’s birthday party down the street. We came home raving about it and had to try it! This is our mom’s version.
Recipe information
Yield
4–6 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
PLACE the chicken in a large pot and cover it with water. Add the celery, carrot, onion, and bay leaves and season with 1 tablespoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
Step 2
REMOVE the chicken to a deep dish or bowl and let it drain. Strain the stock into a large bowl or pan and set aside. Transfer the vegetables from the strainer to a blender (remove the bay leaves), add the garlic, and puree until completely smooth. Set aside.
Step 3
TO make the spinach stew, in a large saucepan over medium heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. When it’s bubbling slightly, add the vegetable puree. Warm it through, about 2 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, the pepper, and the cinnamon stick, then add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the reserved stock and bring to a simmer. Cook to let the flavors develop, about 15 minutes. Reduce the heat and keep warm (remove the cinnamon stick before serving).
Step 4
MEANWHILE, when the chicken is cool enough to handle, pat it completely dry and break it down into 8 pieces: 2 thighs, 2 wings, and 2 breasts, then split the breasts in half. Place the chicken pieces in a large dish. Combine the granulated onion, granulated garlic, paprika, cayenne, oregano, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. Completely coat the chicken in this dry rub.
Step 5
MELT the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear until charred in spots, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side, 4 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Step 6
SERVE the chicken with rice and a generous ladle of spinach stew. Squeeze lemon over the plate if desired.
Recipe notes
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