Chicken With Summer Vegetables

Ingredients

For 4 servings

• •6 scallions (2 1/2 ounces; 70 g)
• •6 medium fresh shishito peppers (3/8 ounce; 92 g total), stemmed
• •1 c. à soupe (15 ml), plus 1 teaspoon neutral oil such as vegetable oil, divided
• •1 1/2 tablespoons (12 g) smoked paprika
• •1 c. à café freshly ground black pepper
• •1 1/2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided; for table salt, use half as much by volume
• •4 boneless, skin-on chicken breasts (about 10 ounces; 283 g each), patted dry
• •1 large red bell pepper (6 ounces; 170 g), sliced into 1/4-inch-thick strips (about 2 cups)
• •1 large orange bell pepper (6 ounces; 170 g), sliced into 1/4-inch-thick strips (about 2 cups)
• •4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• •6 (4-inch) sprigs of woody herbs (such as thyme or oregano), divided
• •12 ounces (340 g) cherry tomatoes (about 2 cups)
• •1 /2 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro (1/2 ounce; 14 g)
• •6 c. à soupe (90 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• •3 c. à soupe (45 ml) fresh lime juice from 2 medium limes
• •1 /4 cup (60 ml) dry sherry
• •2 c. à soupe (28 g) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Method

1. 1.Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 450°F (230°C). Slice scallions into 2-inch-long pieces and place dark green parts in a large bowl; set white and light green parts aside. To the large bowl with scallion greens, add shishitos and 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and toss until evenly coated.
2. 2.Heat an empty 12-inch oven-proof skillet over high heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Add scallion mixture to skillet in a single layer and cook, tossing occasionally, until lightly charred on all sides, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 5 minutes. (Do not wipe skillet out.)
3. 3.In a small bowl, stir together paprika, pepper, and 1 tablespoon salt, and sprinkle evenly over chicken. Add remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to now-empty skillet, and add chicken skin-side down in a single layer; cook over medium heat, undisturbed, until deeply browned on underside, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip chicken and cook, undisturbed, until browned on other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a large plate, skin-side up, reserving drippings in skillet; set aside.
4. 4.Add bell peppers, 1 teaspoon salt, and reserved white and light green scallion parts to skillet, and cook over medium-high, undisturbed, until lightly browned on underside, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and 3 herb sprigs, and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until fragrant, about 2 minutes; stir in cherry tomatoes and remove from heat.
5. 5.Place chicken skin-side up on top of vegetables in a single layer, and bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of chicken registers 155°F, 15 to 18 minutes.
6. 6.While chicken bakes, stem shishitos; finely chop charred shishitos and scallion greens, and place in a medium bowl; stir in cilantro, olive oil, lime juice, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and set aside. Divide chicken and vegetable mixture evenly among 4 plates, reserving liquid in skillet; discard herb sprigs.
7. 7.Add sherry and remaining 3 herb sprigs to reserved liquid in skillet, bring to a simmer over medium-high and cook, undisturbed, until reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in butter; drizzle sherry sauce and scallion topping evenly over chicken and vegetables; discard (or compost) herb sprigs.