THERE ARE ONLY so many 16-hour workdays a man can take.
After graduating from culinary school in 2005, David Nayfeld was doing them six days a week. He hustled at the fine-dining mecca Eleven Madison Park in NYC, then eventually, in 2016, at his own Italian spot, Che Fico, in San Francisco, where he’s still executive chef.
The hours, the travel, the parties. ‘One day, you’re 40 pounds (18 kg) overweight,’ Nayfeld says. Covid gave him a chance to recommit to fitness. While he was into jiu-jitsu before the pandemic, a workout ‘pod’ of friends helped him mix in heavy lifting, HIIT, and running.
And he dialled in his diet, opting for high-protein meals that include a vegetable. Those 40 pounds now gone, Nayfeld is ready for his next goal: ‘I think 2026 is the year that I’m going to compete again in jiu-jitsu.’
This recipe, adapted from Nayfeld’s new cookbook, Dad, What’s for Dinner?, is easy to double for meal prep.
Ingredients
6 1/2 Tbsp. Kewpie mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. white miso
1 1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. honey
Juice of ½ lemon
4 chicken leg quarters (drumstick and thigh, attached)
1/2 small head savoy cabbage, very thinly sliced
Furikake or toasted sesame seeds, to finish
Directions
1. In a bowl, mix the mayo, miso, mustard, honey, 1 tsp kosher salt, and lemon juice. Measure out ¼ cup of the mixture for the marinade and refrigerate the rest for the dressing.
2. Coat the chicken in the marinade and refrigerate, covered, at least 30 mins and up to overnight.
3. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Line a baking sheet with aluminium foil. Place a wire rack over the lined tray. Arrange the chicken on the rack and roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each chicken piece registers 74°C, 30 to 45 mins.
4. In a medium bowl, add the cabbage and toss with some of the reserved dressing, to taste. Top with the furikake or toasted sesame seeds.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 mins. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the baked chicken. Serve with the cabbage.
Nutrition per serving: 691 calories, 64g protein, 12g carbs (2g fibre), 41g fat
Food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich. Prop styling by JJ Chan.
This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.
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