When I was 18, I took my grandma to Jamaica. Grandma had never been anywhere outside of Oklahoma (let alone on an airplane), but she embraced her new surroundings. We snorkeled, danced at reggae clubs, and ate jerk chicken.

About a decade later, I was in Jamaica when I got a telegram informing me that my grandmother had passed away. When I got home, I found out that she left me 25 acres of land — which ended up being the main reason I ultimately returned to Oklahoma, moved to Stroud, and found my calling at the Rock Cafe. Needless to say, spicy jerk chicken has tagged a special place in my heart.

Chicken
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, trimmed of extra skin and fat

Marinade
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
1/2 small red onion, cut into large chunks (save the other half for the salsa)
Juice of 1/2 lime (save the other half for the salsa)
2 tablespoons olive oil + extra for greasing the baking sheet
1 1/2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 medium garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salsa
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 can pineapple rings in juice, drained, juices reserved
1/2 small red bell pepper, seeded and diced fine
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped (about 3 tablespoons)
2 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/4 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Marinate the chicken. Cut 3 small slashes through the skin and into the meat of each chicken thigh, using a sharp knife, cutting all the way to the bone. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Combine the scallions, onion, lime juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, thyme, allspice, sugar, salt, and pepper in a food processor and puree until smooth. Pour the mixture over the chicken thighs and coat them well, rubbing the marinade into the slashes. Set aside while you prepare the salsa (the chicken can be marinated up to 1 day in advance).

Make the salsa. Adjust an oven rack to the uppermost position (about 3″ from the broiler) and heat the broiler to high. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease lightly with 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Place the pineapple on the baking sheet, pat dry with paper towels, and brush lightly with half of the remaining oil. Broil until lightly charred, about 10 minutes, flip the rings over, brush with the remaining oil, and continue to broil until the second sides are lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Lower the oven rack to the lower-middle position (the rack should be about 7″ from the broiler) and heat the oven to 450°F. Cut the cooled pineapple into 1/4″ pieces and place in a large bowl. Add onion, scallions, lime juice, ginger, sugar, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper, toss to combine, and set aside while you cook the chicken.

Bake the chicken. Line the bottom of a broiler pan with foil, set the top in place, and grease with 1/2 teaspoon of oil. Use a paring knife to cut slits through the openings in the broiler pan top. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place skin side up on the broiler pan. Bake until the surfaces are dry and the edges are beginning to brown, about 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through. Turn on the broiler and broil until the skin is crisped and deeply browned, about 5 minutes. Arrange the chicken thighs on a platter and serve with the salsa.

Take it Outside
The chicken and pineapple can also be cooked on a charcoal or gas grill. Build a 2-level fire with medium-high heat on one side and medium-low on the other, and a make sure that the grill grate is well oiled. Sear the chicken over the hotter side until well-browned, about 3 minutes on each side, then move the pieces over to the cooler side to finish cooking, 10 to 12 minutes longer. When the hotter side is free, char the pineapple rings (brush each side with oil first) on each side. The chicken is great served hot, but it can also be served warm or at room temperature.

D to D
The dollar store is a great resource for canned goods, oils, vinegars, and even cereals. Name brands are often marked down due to a printing error or a packaging snafu, but be sure to check the sell-by date too, just in case.

Cook Smart
If I have a few spare minutes to myself in the kitchen, I’ll marinate the chicken and pop it into a resealable freezer bag and freeze. Then all I have to do is defrost it in the microwave and it’s ready to cook.

Shop Smart
Dried ground spices stay fresh for 6 months, while whole spices (such as cinnamon sticks) stay fresh for a year. If you buy in bulk and think you have way more than you can use, invite some friends over and divvy the spices up. Don’t forget to split the cost! Little spice bottles can be purchased from kitchen stores or online, or just save your old ones (which are already labeled!). See page 00 for resources.

I am a crispy girl all the way, meaning the crumb coating on chicken Parmesan better be crisp and crunchy, not soggy. Over the years of making chicken Parm, my absolute favorite dish ever, I’ve come up with a few tricks for getting the chicken super-crispy—without frying. Yes, without frying. Not only does oven-baking save you from an oily cooktop, but it really shows off the flavors in the bread crumbs and marinara sauce while staying on the (somewhat) lighter side.

The trick is to bake the chicken in a single layer on a baking sheet instead of layered in a baking dish. The heat circulates around the chicken more thoroughly, ensuring the most surface area comes into contact with that hot air. I also bake the chicken part way without sauce, which really helps that crumb coating to crisp up.

Ingredients
1 cup bread crumbs
1⁄2 teaspoon each dried basil and dried oregano or 1 teaspoon Italian Rub
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
1 large egg
11⁄2 cups homemade or store-bought marinara, warmed
1 cup grated whole-milk or part-skim mozzarella cheese
Parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
Pasta, for serving

Season the bread crumbs. Place the bread crumbs in a medium bowl and toss with the herbs and salt.

Pound the chicken breasts. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a cutting board with a large sheet of plastic wrap. Place 1 chicken breast on top and cover with another sheet of plastic. Pound the breast until it’s super-thin, about 1⁄4″ thick. Remove the plastic and set the cutlet aside; repeat with the remaining breasts.

Bread the cutlets. Set a rimmed baking sheet at one end of your work surface. Place the bread crumbs next to the baking dish. Beat an egg in a shallow pie plate or bowl and place next to the bread crumbs. Set the chicken next to the egg. Using 1 hand (this will be your “breading” hand—try to keep the other hand clean), dip a cutlet into the egg, making sure the egg coats both sides, and then place it in the bread crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over the cutlet, making sure both sides are evenly coated, and then place the breaded cutlet on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken and place in the baking sheet (try to fit all of the chicken on the baking sheet in 1 layer).

Bake, sauce, and bake some more. Bake the cutlets until lightly browned, about 20 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and pour the sauce over the top. Sprinkle evenly with the mozzarella and bake until the cheese is bubbly and golden brown, about 20 minutes longer. Serve immediately, sprinkled with Parmesan, if using, and with some pasta on the side.

Frozen vegetables are true assets. Picked at their peak sweetness and flash-frozen to preserve nutrients and flavor, there’s just no reason to turn your nose up at frozen broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn, green beans, pearl onions or peas. Defrost 12 ounces of chicken and this side dish transforms into a chop-smacking main meal.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
12 oz. chicken breast, chopped
4 cups frozen Asian-blend vegetables (or 4 cups of mixed frozen vegetables such as broccoli florets, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, pearl onions, peas, or snow peas)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons prepared Asian sauce (such as black bean, hoisin, or teriyaki)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
3 cups cooked brown or white rice

Heat the canola oil in a wok or large, heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat for 11⁄2 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute, then stir in the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the frozen vegetables along with the salt and 3 tablespoons of water and cook, partially covered, until thawed, 3 to 6 minutes (depending on what kinds of frozen vegetables you used). Add the scallions, soy sauce, Asian sauce, and sesame oil, toss with the vegetables to coat, and then stir in the rice and cook until all the grains are coated with sauce. Serve immediately.

Try this once—I know it sounds like a little bit of extra effort, but I guarantee that you’ll be hooked at the something-from-nothing fringe benefits!

After carving away all the meat from a chicken’s or turkey’s frame, save those bones for soup. Sure, the soup stock won’t be quite as rich and deep as it would be if you made it from necks and backbones, but it’s still delicious and much better than store-bought.

For extra flavor, I brown my veggies before adding the bones and water. I use dried herbs here, but if you have fresh on hand, by all means double the quantity and toss them in. This broth can also be made with chicken carcasses, but you’ll need 2 to make a good broth.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
2 celery stalks, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon dried basil or thyme
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon salt
6 whole black peppercorns or 1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 turkey carcass from a 10- to 12-pound turkey, split in half with poultry shears or a chef’s knife, or 2 to 3 split chicken carcasses

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring often, until soft and browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the basil or thyme, parsley, salt, and pepper, add the turkey or chicken bones, and cover with 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pot, and gently simmer until the broth is rich and flavorful, about 2 hours. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and cool before refrigerating (it will keep for 5 days) or freezing in quart-size resealable freezer bags, plastic containers, or ice cube trays (transfer the frozen cubes to plastic bags once they’re frozen solid).

Maybe it’s because I own and run a restaurant, but it’s definitely one of my pet peeves when I order a meal and know right off the bat that I could’ve made it better. Now I’m the first to admit that there are some restaurant dishes I’ll never be able to one-up (I mean, how do they get the soup into those Shanghai soup dumplings anyway?), but there are others that I can definitely top, and cheesy enchiladas are one of them.

That’s why I never, ever order enchiladas in restaurants anymore, and honestly speaking, I bet you won’t either once you’ve tried making them yourself. Super simple, inexpensive, and so good, they leave you feeling happy and satisfied, not comatose, after eating.

Ingredients
About 2 1⁄4 cups shredded cooked chicken
1 small red or white onion, finely chopped
1 jalapeño chile pepper, seeded and ribbed for a milder flavor, finely chopped (optional)
1 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
3 cups No-Cook Garden Vegetable Sauce or your favorite salsa
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 (8″) flour or whole-wheat tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) grated Cheddar and/or Monterey Jack cheese
Sour cream, for serving

Make the filling. Heat the oven to 400°F. Place the chicken in a large bowl and gently mix with the onion, jalapeño (if using), all but 2 tablespoons of the cilantro, 1⁄2 cup of the vegetable sauce, the lime juice, salt, and pepper.

Roll and bake the enchiladas. Evenly spread 1⁄2 cup of the vegetable sauce over the bottom of a 13″ x 9″ baking dish. Place the tortillas on your work surface and divide the filling among them, arranging it in a strip down the center of each tortilla. Roll the tortillas around the filling and place the filled tortillas seam-side down in the baking dish.

Cover with the remaining 2 cups of sauce. Sprinkle evenly with the cheese. Bake the enchiladas until the sauce is golden brown and bubbling, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining cilantro and serve hot with sour cream on the side.

This brown sugar–brined chicken has been in the Rock’s menu for 15 years. The brine uses pantry ingredients such as brown sugar, salt, and dried herbs, so it’s easy to throw together in the morning or even the night before you plan to serve it. That way, all you need to do before dinner is bake it.

Ingredients
1 cup (or 1⁄2 cup table salt) + 1 teaspoon kosher salt
11⁄2 cups dark brown sugar
1 yellow onion, quartered
4 garlic cloves, smashed
6 bay leaves
6 whole black peppercorns
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, legs, or thighs
2 fennel bulbs, fronds and stalks removed, cored, and sliced into 1⁄2″-thick wedges
1 red onion, halved and sliced into 1⁄2″-thick wedges
3 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Brine the chicken. Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in 1 cup of salt and the brown sugar until dissolved, and turn off the heat. Let the mixture cool for 15 minutes before adding 12 cups of cold water, the yellow onion, garlic, and spices. Divide the mixture and chicken between 2 gallon-size resealable plastic bags and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.

Bake the chicken. Heat the oven to 350°F. Toss the fennel and red onion with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon of pepper in a 3-quart baking dish. Drain the chicken and pat dry with paper towels. Place the chicken pieces skin-side up on top of the vegetables, brush with the remaining oil, and sprinkle with the remaining salt and pepper. Roast until the chicken skin is crisp and golden, and the chicken is completely cooked through, stirring the vegetables halfway through cooking, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the oven and adjust the oven rack to the upper-middle position. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and set aside. Heat the broiler to high and broil the chicken until the skin is crisp, 1 to 2 minutes (watch the chicken carefully, as broiler intensity varies). Divide the chicken among plates and serve the vegetables on the side.

Shop Smart
If you’re not into fennel, then substitute any other sliced vegetable, such as potatoes, carrots, rutabagas, parsnips, or even Brussels sprouts.

This was my first post, and I’m repeating it because it’s super good and shows how to cook once and use twice to save time and money. I chose this recipe for my first post for a very special reason. I always took all the herbs that grew wild around the Rock Cafe for granted.

But when the Rock burnt down in May 2008, my friends and neighbors came together, dug up the herbs, and planted them in their gardens and yards.

One year later, when the Rock had risen from the ashes and I was preparing for my grand reopening, my friends and supporters came once again and replanted my thyme and rosemary. Amazing!! Y’all, you’re the reason why I love Stroud, why I love the Rock and why I do what I do. Now let’s cook up some chicken!

Salt Rub
1⁄4 cup kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
1⁄2 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 teaspoon fresh oregano)

Chickens
2 whole chickens (3–4 pounds each)
1 large yellow onion, quartered
6 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (optional)
Canola oil

Make the salt rub. Pulse the salt, garlic, rosemary, pepper, thyme, and oregano together in a food processor, or chop together on a cutting board until the salt is flecked with green bits and it is very fragrant; set aside.

Season the chickens. Heat the oven to 375°F. Pat the birds dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Tuck the wings behind the birds (it should look as if they were putting their hands behind their heads). Divide the onion, rosemary sprigs, and thyme sprigs between the 2 birds and tuck them into the cavities. Slide 1 tablespoon of butter (if using) under the skin of each breast. Tie the legs together with kitchen string, then season each bird with 2 tablespoons of the herbed salt.

Roast and carve the chickens. Grease a roasting rack with some canola oil. Place the chickens breastside down on the rack in a roasting pan, or over a foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet. Roast for 30 minutes, then turn the chickens breast-side up, add 1 cup of water to the roasting pan (or 1⁄2 cup if using a rimmed baking sheet), and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh joint reads 170°F, about 11⁄4 to 11⁄2 hours.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the chickens rest for 5 minutes before carving and serving. If you’re saving 1 chicken to use in the recipes on pages 6 through 11, then let the chicken cool completely before removing the meat from the bone. Place the meat in quart-size, resealable bags and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.