Members’ Journal
Sunday Chicken Gets a Jazzy Paprika Rub
Mary’s Blue Hour Bistro
Published
At Mary’s Blue Hour Bistro, smoky spice-rubbed chicken and a colorful roasted ratatouille share the heat of a busy Sunday oven.
Winner, winner, chicken dinner! Howard loved this chicken — and that is saying a mouthful. He is generally not impressed by chicken. But this chicken is one you would cross the road for. He loved it, and I will remember that.
Tell the story, Big Daddy:
Sunday Chicken Day began at Mary’s Blue Hour Bistro with five substantial, skin-on thighs and a rub worthy of the name “jazzy.” Smoked paprika supplied the brick-red color, backed by garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, black pepper and a restrained kick of cayenne. Once the pieces were spread skin-side up across the foil-lined pan, they were ready for the 425°F oven.
Alongside the chicken went whole garlic bulbs, trimmed to expose the cloves, drizzled with olive oil and tucked into foil packets. Their mellow roasted centers were destined for a blue-cheese yogurt sauce, with extra garlic saved for another meal.
The ratatouille brought the color: generous chunks of purple-skinned eggplant and zucchini, red bell pepper and onion, all glossed with olive oil and thyme. The first pan proved too crowded for proper roasting, so the vegetables were divided between a dark baking sheet and a lighter pan. That quick correction gave them room to brown rather than steam. Drained chopped tomatoes and minced garlic would join after the first roast, preserving the vegetables’ shape while building a saucier finish.
It was an oven-full Sunday production—smoky chicken, slow-softening garlic and two lively pans of vegetables, all moving toward the same table.
Tonight’s Menu
Jazzy spice-rubbed chicken thighs
Roasted ratatouille with eggplant, zucchini, red bell pepper, onion and tomatoes
Roasted-garlic blue-cheese yogurt sauce
Open the Recipe Card
# Jazzy Sunday Chicken with Roasted Ratatouille
**Timing & heat:** Roast at 425°F; ratatouille takes about 30–35 minutes, bone-in thighs 35–45 minutes, or boneless thighs 22–30 minutes.
## Ingredients
### Chicken
– About 2 lb chicken thighs
– 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
– 1 tsp garlic powder
– 1 tsp onion powder
– 3/4 tsp kosher salt
– 1/2 tsp dried thyme
– 1/2 tsp black pepper
– 1/4 tsp cayenne
– 1 Tbsp olive oil
### Ratatouille
– 1 long Asian eggplant, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
– Zucchini, cut into 3/4-inch chunks — Check quantity
– Remaining red bell pepper, chopped
– 1/2 onion, chopped
– 1 cup drained canned chopped tomatoes
– 2–3 garlic cloves, minced
– 2 Tbsp olive oil
– 1/2 tsp dried thyme
– Salt and pepper
## Steps
1. Heat the oven to 425°F. Pat the chicken dry. Mix the spices with 1 Tbsp olive oil and massage the mixture all over the thighs. Arrange skin-side up if using skin-on thighs.
2. Toss the eggplant, zucchini, bell pepper, and onion with 2 Tbsp olive oil, thyme, salt, and pepper. Spread on a large pan.
3. Put the chicken and vegetables in the oven together. Roast the vegetables for 15 minutes.
4. Stir the drained tomatoes and minced garlic into the vegetables. Roast for another 15–20 minutes, stirring once.
5. Roast bone-in thighs for 35–45 minutes or boneless thighs for 22–30 minutes. Check the thickest part for doneness.
6. Rest the chicken for 5–10 minutes before serving.
## Watch For
– Ratatouille is ready when the vegetables are tender and browned but have not dissolved into mush.
– Chicken must reach at least 165°F in the thickest part; thighs are especially succulent around 175–185°F.