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The Sunday Paper Recommends: Week of April 24

The Sunday Paper Recommends: Week of April 24

By The Sunday Paper Team
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At The Sunday Paper, we want to inspire you to gather at your table—virtually or with friends and family—and open your heart and mind to conversations that will move the needle. After all, the dinner table is where we connect on topics and map out the changes we can all make that’ll really move the needle.

This week, to encourage your conversations, we recommend checking out the following:

To Read:

There is no other writer like Ocean Vuong. His words transcend time and constructs. Now, the author of the acclaimed On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous has just released his latest work, a collection of achingly beautiful poems, Time Is a Mother.

To Watch:

This cinematic multi-generational series about the dreams of a Korean immigrant family is based on the international best-selling novel. It is, in a word, epic and showcases some of the best talent out there—95 percent of which are Asian—including Oscar winner Youn Yuh-Jung. We are in awe of Soo Hugh, the show’s visionary, and its epic storytelling.

To Make:

Claire Saffitz makes this One Skillet Chicken with Buttery Orzo that only calls for one pan, simple ingredients, and minimal effort. The result? Tender chicken with flavorful tiny pasta that is perfect for a springtime dinner outdoors. Recipe originally from BonAppetit.

Claire Saffitz's One Skillet Chicken with Buttery Orzo:

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 pounds total), patted dry

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided

1 fennel bulb, chopped, plus fronds, chopped

1 leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped

8 ounces orzo

⅓ cup dry white wine

2½ cups low-sodium chicken broth, divided

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Preparation

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 400°. Rain salt and then some pepper all over chicken. Heat 2 Tbsp. butter in a medium cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Nestle chicken, skin side down, in skillet in a single layer with no gaps (if you can’t quite fit them all, wait until chicken shrinks slightly, then puzzle in the remaining pieces). Cook until meat is opaque around the edges and skin is deep golden brown, 6–8 minutes. Turn chicken skin side up and transfer skillet to oven; bake, uncovered, until chicken is cooked through, 10–15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.

Step 2:

Set same skillet over medium; combine fennel bulb and leek in skillet and sprinkle in some salt and pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until leek is looking golden around the edges, about 5 minutes. Add orzo and cook until pasta is darkened (it will take on a brown hue) to a nice nutty brown in spots and toasty smelling, about 3 minutes. Pour in wine and cook, stirring, until liquid is evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth ½ cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting broth absorb before adding more, until orzo is tender and broth is mostly absorbed but pan is not dry, 10–15 minutes.

Step 3:

Remove skillet from heat, Taste and add more salt and pepper to your liking; mix in lemon juice and remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, then chopped fennel fronds. Pile chicken on top and finish with lemon zest.

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