Skillet Chicken With Schmaltzy (!) Tomatoes

There are words in food writing that pack more power than others. Crispy, creamy, crunchy — those are big — but I also like “smashed,” as in smashed burgers, smashed cucumbers, smashed pickle salad. “Double” is another; If you love garlic, lemon or chocolate, you can close your eyes and imagine the potency of double garlic mashed potatoes, double lemon chicken or double chocolate chip cookies.

Then there is the Yiddish word “schmaltzy,” which has two meanings: slicked with rendered chicken fat (technically, any poultry fat); and overly sentimental, with high notes and big strings. It’s an over-the-top word with a showbiz quality to it. A schmaltzy chicken is a chicken doing a tap routine with a feather boa; it’s going to give you big flavor whether you like it or not. Personally, I like it.

So, without further ado, I’ve got Melissa Clark’s new recipe for skillet chicken thighs with schmaltzy tomatoes just for you. The caramelized pan drippings you get from roasting chicken thighs are tossed with the tomatoes, making them saltier and juicier. That recipe is below, along with four other possible dinners for the week.

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I’m also making:

Cherry pie!

Credit…David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.

1. Skillet Chicken Thighs With Schmaltzy Tomatoes

Melissa Clark’s new recipe is easy-peasy, but if you’re in a rush or are not much of a lemon zester, you can skip Steps 1 and 2, season the chicken with just salt and still land on a very good meal.

View this recipe.