This spiced, blistered chicken is one of the best things I've ever tasted

When my best friend, Robin (plus her husband, Aaron, and their toddler daughter, Nora) moved from D.C. to Chicago in August, our in-person meetups were replaced by intense text threads or long phone conversations. We chat about day-to-day life, like everyone else, but we also frequently recount and dissect meals we cooked and/or ate.

Today's recipe, for chicken thighs seasoned with an unmissable, absolutely dynamite homemade spice blend and blistered in a scorching-hot pan, is adapted from one Aaron cooked for his family last year.

I was in the middle of a busy workday when Robin texted to see whether I had time for a call. "Also," she wrote, "I really want to tell you about this chicken dish that Aaron accidentally invented the other night…"

When I called her later that day, we caught up on all the usual - children, spouses, health, work - before I changed the subject.

"Okay, cool," I said. "Now, tell me about this chicken."

Robin recounted, with palpable enthusiasm, the story of New Stove Chicken.

When they relocated to Chicago, Robin and Aaron decided to buy their first home. The house they picked had a lot of selling points, but, like many older homes, it needed work. Renovations included a new roof, new plumbing and, crucial to this story, a new stove.

The couple chose an induction range, citing the sleek cooktop's safety features. A few weeks later, with the new stove hooked up, Aaron cooked dinner. He seasoned a package of boneless, skinless chicken thighs with salt, then started looking through the spices that had recently been unpacked onto the counter. The couple's go-to spices were now mixed in with seldom-used jars, but Aaron is an avid, capable cook, so he didn't need, or have, a plan. On a whim, he picked out four jars: garlic powder, Urfa chile flakes, dehydrated orange peel and sumac.

Aaron sprinkled the chicken with roughly equal amounts of these seasonings, then he set a cast-iron skillet on the biggest burner and turned it to the highest setting.

At this point in the conversation, I think I gasped.

Robin explained that they hadn't actually cooked on an induction stovetop before. They quickly learned that there's a "learning curve," as my colleague Becky Krystal wrote in a guide to cooking with induction. "One of the biggest advantages of induction is how quickly it heats up. … The flip side is that it can happen faster than you expect."

Before Aaron knew it, the pan was far hotter than he had wanted it to be. He quickly eased the chicken thighs into it. A plume of smoke curled toward the ceiling. As the pan's temperature stabilized, Aaron flipped the chicken and discovered that it had blistered and blackened in spots. The spices seemed to have fried in the chicken's rendered fat. The smell was surprisingly appealing. The taste was even better.

"Daniela," Robin said, "I took one bite and told Aaron, 'I think this is the best thing you've ever cooked' - and you know Aaron is a great cook! Just about everything he makes is good. But this chicken. This chicken! This is good."

Their daughter, Nora, was skeptical.

When she finally took a bite at Robin's urging, "her eyes went wide as she reached for piece after piece," Robin recounted. "She couldn't stop eating it! None of us could."

They named it New Stove Chicken.

A few weeks later, Robin emailed me photos of her remaking the recipe, step by step. Then I re-created the dish - and was almost moved to tears as I ate this chicken. I don't think I use much hyperbole in my writing, so I hope you'll believe me when I say that this spice mixture, in combination with the right amount of fat, heat and smoke, is one of the best things I have ever tasted.

I have applied the spice mixture to chicken breasts and wings; bone-in, skin-on whole pieces; and even entire birds. I've also put it on beef, pork, lamb, mushrooms, salmon and tofu. I've cooked these proteins in the oven, under the broiler and on a grill - and though it all works, pan-seared is my favorite.

The spice mixture is only half the trick here. You also need really high heat to get that uneven, blister-like char. And fat - not only from the animal protein you're cooking, but also in the form of an oil with a high smoke point - to bring out the flavors of the spices. That hot fat gets the garlic powder and orange peel to caramelize, their flavors transforming into something sweet and almost sticky against the warmth of the Urfa chile flakes and the pronounced tang of the sumac. It's unexpected. It's extraordinary.

You can purchase all of these spices at spice stores, at Middle Eastern markets or online. I have tried this with a variety of substitutes - onion powder instead of garlic; dry rose harissa or sweet paprika instead of Urfa; diced fresh orange or tangerine peel instead of dehydrated; dried lemon zest instead of sumac - and they work, but not quite as well.

Robin's family served the chicken with a few fresh vegetable salads, a garlicky tzatziki-like sauce, warm pita, lemon wedges and herbs. These accompaniments are nice, and they certainly fill out the meal. But I can tell you from experience that, if you want to let the meat cool and eat it straight out of the pan, it's just as phenomenal on its own.

Blistered Chicken With Garlic, Urfa Chile and Orange

Inspired by jalapeño poppers - a popular bar and game-day snack - these shishito pepper tacos are well-suited for a crowd. Mild shishitos turn silky when they're stuffed with a savory cream cheese mixture, topped with shredded cheese and baked on top of tortillas. If you can't find shishitos, you can use Padrón peppers, which are a little bit spicier. If you really like the heat, use jalapeños or serranos.

Especially if serving as part of a party spread, look for 4-inch tortillas. If they're not available, 6-inch tortillas also work.

Storage: These are best eaten as soon as they are made.

Where to buy: Shishito peppers can be found at well-stocked supermarkets or Asian markets.

TOTAL TIME:: Total time: 25 mins, plus optional salting time
SERVINGS: 3 to 4 servings
MAKE AHEAD: The salted chicken can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours.
STORAGE: Refrigerate for up to 4 days.
WHERE TO BUY: Urfa chile flakes, sumac and minced dehydrated orange peel can be found at spice shops, at Middle Eastern markets and online

JewishWorldReview.com publishes delicious -- mostly nutritious -- recipes. Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.

• 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds total)
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon sumac
• 1 tablespoon dehydrated orange peel
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Urfa chile flakes (also known as Urfa biber)
• 2 tablespoons high-heat cooking oil, such as sunflower, avocado or vegetable, plus more as needed

STEPS

Pat the chicken dry and season both sides with the salt. If you have the time, let the chicken sit on the counter for about 30 minutes, or cover and refrigerate for up to 12 hours. This will allow the salt to penetrate the meat, which will help it retain moisture during cooking, but it’s not necessary.

In a large, wide bowl, stir together the garlic powder, sumac, dehydrated orange peel and Urfa chile flakes. Dip the chicken in the spice mixture until every piece is well coated, flipping as needed.

Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Add the oil, swirl the pan to coat the bottom and, working in batches as needed, use tongs to carefully place the chicken thighs in the hot pan, laying them away from you, so the end closest to you hits the pan first to avoid splatters. Leave a little space between each piece.

The pan will cool down as the chicken goes in, but, as it heats up again, if it begins to smoke, reduce the heat to medium-high. Sear until the chicken is generously browned on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. If the pan looks dry, add a drizzle of oil, then flip each piece and continue searing until generously browned on the bottom, another 5 to 7 minutes. The spices on the chicken will have formed a burnished crust, and the chicken may look blistered or blackened in spots. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh should register between 175 and 195 degrees. If searing in batches, repeat with the remaining chicken.

Remove the pan from the heat, transfer the chicken to a plate and season with additional salt, if desired. Let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Substitutions: Instead of chicken thighs >> try this spice mix on another cut of chicken, lamb chops, skirt steak, pork chops or extra-firm tofu. Garlic powder >> onion powder. Sumac >> dehydrated lemon peel or more dehydrated orange peel. Dehydrated orange peel >> dehydrated lemon peel, or a squeeze of fresh lemon and/or orange juice over the chicken after cooking. Urfa chile >> Kashmiri chile, gochugaru or 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes.

(COMMENT, BELOW)