Roasted Chicken and Acorn Squash with Sumac Brown Butter

★★★☆☆
Prep: 20 mins Cook: 95 mins Serves: 4 Source: Josh Miller / Food & Wine

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken leg quarters (about 3 1/2 pounds)
  • 3 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided (16.0 ml)
  • 4 teaspoons lemon zest, divided (19.7 ml)
  • 2 teaspoons black pepper, divided (9.9 ml)
  • 2 medium acorn squash, halved and cut into 1/2-inch slices
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (44.4 ml)
  • 3 thyme sprigs
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (29.6 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon honey (4.9 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon sumac, divided (4.9 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (4.9 ml)
  • Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish

Instructions

  1. Sprinkle chicken with 2 tsp salt, 2 tsp lemon zest, and 1 tsp black pepper. Refrigerate uncovered 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Let chicken come to room temperature, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 450°F. Add squash to baking sheet with chicken; drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle squash with 1 tsp salt and remaining pepper. Tuck thyme sprigs around.
  3. Bake until chicken reaches 165°F and squash is tender, about 35 minutes. Transfer to platter; reserve pan juices.
  4. Heat butter in saucepan over medium, stirring, until browned and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add pan juices, honey, 1/2 tsp sumac, remaining 2 tsp lemon zest, and remaining 1/4 tsp salt. Drizzle over chicken and squash. Sprinkle with Aleppo pepper, thyme leaves, and remaining 1/2 tsp sumac.
Wine Pairing: Full White (White Rioja) — Nutty, full-bodied white Rioja (per F&W)
Josh Miller / Food & Wine · Contemporary
chicken, acorn squash, sumac, brown butter