Chicken Parts, 9 Ways

These recipes apply only to bone-in chicken parts, something that no longer goes without saying in a world obsessed with boneless breast. To serve four, start with a 3- to 4-pound cut-up whole chicken or 2 or more pounds of parts. Bone-in breasts remain pretty juicy when cooked in the following recipes, but if you’re worried that they’ll dry out, just pull them off the heat a few minutes before the dark meat is done. Judge the doneness with an instant-read thermometer (breasts and thighs should fall somewhere in the range of 155–165°F) or visually: when the juices run consistently clear (not pink), the meat is done.

As always, the first recipe in each category is the main recipe (with a description of the cooking technique), and the two that follow are variations.