Sheet Pan Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage

Early in the stay at home orders caused by the pandemic of 2020, Betsy and I chatted and learned that we had both made this recipe within the same week without having told one another of our interest in it. It's a very yummy dish.

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Sheet Pan Maple-Mustard Chicken Thighs with Red Cabbage

Source:  Washington Post, January 16, 2020
Serves:  4-6

I haven't done it, but I believe green cabbage may be substituted for the red if that is what you have. If you do use green I suggest you substitute a yellow onion for the red. However, a red cabbage results in an extraordinarily attractive dish.

2 1/2 T grainy mustard
3 T maple syrup, divided
1/2 teas freshly ground pepper
2 1/2 pds skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
8 c thinly sliced red cabbage, about 1/2 a medium head
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly into half moons
5 T apple cider vinegar, divided
2 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 teas caraway seeds
1/2 teas kosher salt; add more to taste

Note: the more thinly the cabbage is sliced, the more quickly it will cook.

Place the oven rack in the middle and preheat the oven to 450F.

Mix the mustard, 1 T of the maple syrup, and 1/4 teas of the pepper into a small bowl.

Put the chicken thighs on a lightly oiled large rimmed baking sheet and pat dry with paper towels. Pour the mustard mixture over the thighs and rub it all over the skin. Arrange the thighs skin side up and place in the oven; roast for 20 minutes or so, until the skin has started to crisp up.

Remove the baking sheet and reduce the heat to 375F.  Remove the chicken from the sheet to a plate and discard accumulated fat.

Toss the cabbage, onion, 4 T of the vinegar, onion, oil, and remaining 2 T of the maple syrup as well as caraway seeds and salt plus the remaining 1/4 teas of black pepper. Dump the cabbage mix onto the baking sheet, spreading it evenly. Nestle the chicken with the skin side up into the cabbage and return the baking sheet to the oven.

Roast for 20-25 minutes until the cabbage has softened somewhat and the thighs are measuring 170F on a meat thermometer. If the chicken is done before the cabbage, pull the thighs off the pan and keep warm on a platter, covering with foil. Return the cabbage to the oven covered with foil until it has reached the tenderness you desire. Remove from the oven.

Use the remaining tablespoons of vinegar to drizzle over chicken and serve with cabbage.

Buttercup Cookies

A year ago this month, we joined family members in Iceland for the burial of our little grand daughter Sóley. Recently I've comforted myself when marking anniversaries of the loss of loved ones by cooking something they enjoyed eating. I'm unable to do that so I found a recipe that represents a buttercup bloom to me, for that is what her name means in Icelandic.  

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Buttercup Cookies

Cook's Country (Hazelnut-Lemon Curd Kisses)
20-24 cookies

altitude changes for around 5000 feet:

add 1 T flour
decrease the sugar by 1 teaspoon

(Once I baked these and forgot to make altitude changes. They were still good, although slightly more fragile.)


1 c AP flour
3/4 c hazelnuts or pecans, toasted
pinch salt
8 T unsalted butter, softened
1/3 c granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
3/4 teas vanilla extract
approximately 1/2 c lemon curd (purchased or homemade)
1/4 c confectioner's sugar, optional

Make the dough:

Set oven racks to upper- and low-middle. Preheat oven to 350F. Place parchment paper on 2 baking sheets. Place flour, nuts, salt in a food processor and grind until finely ground.

Place butter and granulated sugar in a bowl (either stand mixer or otherwise) and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating until completely mixed in. On a lower speed, mix in the flour mixture just until incorporated.

Roll  dough into a 1-inch balls and setting each on the baking sheet about 2 inches apart. Grease a 1 teaspoon measuring spoon and use it to make an indentation in the center of each ball. You'll probably have to grease the spoon repeatedly. Bake about 10 minutes until just set.

Remove the baking sheets from the oven and gently press the measuring spoon into the existing holes to reinforce the existing indentations. Return to oven and continue baking, rotating and switching, until the cookies begin to brown around the edges (around 10 minutes, depending on altitude). On cooling racks, cool for 5 minutes on the baking sheet and then move each cookie the the rack until they have cooled completely. The cookies can be stored for 2 days at room temperature; they can be frozen, too, if you keep them in a single layer.

Once you have determined how many cookies you are serving, fill the imprint in each cookie with a teaspoon of lemon curd. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar, if desired, and serve immediately.
Remaining cookies can be stored at room temperature for a couple of days until you are ready to fill and eat them. If you prefer, you may store them in the freezer but they tend to survive better if frozen in a single layer.

Place the lemon curd in the fridge until you serve the remaining cookies.

Cook's Country's instructions vary considerably from my own. The curd is baked in their version. Here are instructions for the process:

When the cookies have been baked the first 10 minutes. remove from the oven and deepen the imprints. While the cookie is still hot, fill each dimple with half a teaspoon of lemon curd. Return the sheets to the oven and bake for around 10 minutes until they have browned at the edges. Follow the advise above for rotating, removing, and cooling. Allow to cool before serving and sprinkle with  confectioner's sugar, if you like. This version can be kept at room temperature for a couple of days. I've cooked this version so rarely that I cannot advise about freezing.