Members’ Journal
A Gift of Za’atar, a Spectacular Roast Chicken Dinner
Mary’s Blue Hour Bistro
Published
Mary’s Blue Hour Bistro turned half a roast chicken into a warmly spiced dinner with charred vegetables, and cool blue-cheese cucumber yogurt — and a special treat, Howard's fresh-baked dark rye.
A gifted jar of za’atar found its moment at Mary’s Blue Hour Bistro, where half a roast chicken became a thoroughly new dinner for two. The chicken roasted among eggplant and sweet Hungarian peppers, the sheet pan bringing caramelized edges to the vegetables and a crisp finish to the skin.
There was one happy detour: the za’atar landed on the vegetables rather than the chicken. No harm done—the spice made a fine match for the browned eggplant and peppers, while the plate’s cool counterpoint came from Greek yogurt folded with blue cheese and cucumber.
A fresh cucumber, tomato, and onion salad brightened the richly roasted elements. On the blue floral plates, the colorful salad, pale yogurt sauce, and bronzed chicken made a generous, inviting picture. Howard especially loved the fresh taste of the salad and the chicken skin; both diners called the meal absolutely delicious.
Fresh-baked bread completed the table: Howard’s rich dark rye, ready for every last swipe of the blue-cheese cucumber yogurt.
Tonight’s Menu
Za’atar-roasted chicken with charred eggplant and sweet Hungarian peppers
Blue-cheese cucumber yogurt
Cucumber, tomato, and onion salad
Fresh-baked dark rye
Open the Recipe Card
## Za’atar-Crisped Chicken with Charred Eggplant, Sweet Peppers & Blue Cheese Cucumber Yogurt
**For 2 diners · 425°F oven · 22-minute roast, with chicken added when 10 minutes remain**
### Equipment & Before You Start
– Large rimmed sheet pan
– Mixing bowl, small bowl, and 2 warm dinner plates
– Heat the oven to **425°F** with the sheet pan inside.
– Cut the half cooked roast chicken into **2 portions**. Dice the cucumber and tomato; keep half the cucumber for the sauce and half for the salad.
### Ingredients
– ½ cooked roast chicken, cut into 2 portions
– 1 medium eggplant, cut into ¾-inch cubes
– 2 sweet Hungarian peppers, seeded and cut into wide strips
– 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
– ½ teaspoon ground cumin
– ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
– 1 teaspoon za’atar
– ¾ teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for the sauce and salad
– Black pepper
– ½ cucumber, diced
– 1 fresh tomato, diced
– ¼ small red or yellow onion, very thinly sliced
– ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
– 2–3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
– 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus a little zest
– 1 small garlic clove, finely minced
– 1 tablespoon chopped basil, parsley, or Bishop’s weed
### Steps
1. Toss the eggplant and peppers with **2 tablespoons olive oil**, cumin, smoked paprika, ¾ teaspoon salt, and black pepper. Carefully spread them on the hot sheet pan. Set a **22-minute timer** and roast.
2. In a small bowl, mash the blue cheese into the yogurt. Stir in lemon juice and zest, **1 tablespoon olive oil**, garlic, half the herbs, black pepper, and a pinch of salt. Fold in half the cucumber.
3. Toss the remaining cucumber with the tomato, onion, remaining herbs, a small drizzle of olive oil, a pinch of salt, and black pepper. Set aside.
4. When **11 minutes remain**, stir the vegetables.
5. When **10 minutes remain**, rub the chicken skin with za’atar, a little olive oil, and black pepper. Nestle the chicken skin-side up among the vegetables and return the pan to the oven.
6. At **0:00**, the chicken should be hot through with crisp, bronzed skin; the eggplant should be deeply tender with dark caramelized edges, and the peppers blistered.
### Hold & Serve
Keep the cucumber-tomato salad at room temperature while the chicken and vegetables finish. Plate immediately so the chicken skin stays crisp.
### Watch For
– Taste the blue cheese yogurt before adding more salt; the cheese is already salty.
– Keep the cucumber-tomato salad and yogurt sauce off the chicken skin to preserve its crackle.
### Plate & Present
Swipe blue cheese cucumber yogurt across each warm plate. Divide the charred eggplant and peppers between the plates, then set one chicken portion on each. Spoon the cucumber-tomato salad alongside. Finish with a little lemon zest and the remaining herbs, then wipe the rims and serve.