Crispy-skinned braised chicken with tomatoes, carrots and kale

Season the chicken with pepper, a good amount of salt and MSG (about eight parts salt to one part MSG).

Lay the chicken skin down in a ceramic non-stick pan (preheat first if stainless steel), press the curves into the pan, weigh it down and leave it alone to brown; started high, then medium.

If it sticks or feels like it will tear when lifted, give it longer; brown as close to burning as possible without burning, a little less since it browns more in the oven.

Cut the carrots faux tournée: a 45-degree cut, rotate, cut again, for even chunks.

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Add onion slices to the pan and let the second side of the chicken brown a little.

Make space in the pan; add the garlic, then the carrots, raise the heat to high and brown and soften the vegetables a little; add a little olive oil.

Strip the ribs from the kale and roughly chop it.

Season the vegetables with salt, pepper and MSG; add half a can of whole peeled tomatoes, rinse the can into the pan and break the tomatoes up roughly; add the kale.

Nestle the chicken in so it is mostly submerged with the skin above the sauce.

Into the 375F oven to simmer and brown, aiming for 145 to 150F in the breast, about 30 to 40 minutes; nestle thyme around, reserving some for garnish.

Partway through, stir to break up the crust on top and expose the vegetables to browning; return to the oven until the breast reaches about 145F (pulled at 149F).

Check the thigh is at least 170F (it read 175F); breast carries over toward 155 to 160F.

Rest about five minutes.

Taste the vegetables for seasoning, serve with drumstick, thigh and sliced breast, and finish with thyme, good olive oil and good salt.