Vernal Equinox

Pan-Roasting Chicken In Spite of the Spring Tropical Cyclone

By Willow Pennell

The start of spring is a bit of a joke. The air’s not warm and the sky’s overcast. After five years of drought in California, this year feels like we’re getting all the water at once, like our water packages were on hold at the post office. It’s a January storm in March.

© Susie Bright

Spring who?

On this wet first day of spring we’re celebrating by eating grass. That is, the fresh spring asparagus that’s finally at the grocery store. The spears will be coated in oil and salt and set in a hot oven until they’re caramelized in places. I pull them out of the oven before you’d think. They’ll keep cooking after they’re out.

To go with: chicken thighs and lemon.

Food52’s Genius Recipes don’t lie. They always hit with ideas and recipes that are way more than the the sum of their parts.

For example, stovetop pan roasted chicken thighs. You pull bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs straight from the fridge, and salt and pepper them.

Put the thighs skin side down in a cast iron pan that…