July 2024:
RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, GAIL BLAKELY
I am so glad to have discovered Bell & Evans boned chicken breasts with the skin on. I always use them for Ina Garten’s roasted lemon chicken, and in the past I would take a package of chicken breasts, on the bone, to the butcher counter and ask for the bones to be removed—but please leave the skin on.
Now they are available tightly sealed in plastic, so when I see them, I grab a few packages and throw them in my freezer. That way I always have something easy to cook when I get home—all this needs is some sliced fresh vegetables (tomatoes, of course) with a sauce made of chopped fresh basil, good mayonnaise, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Another way to serve these is with spinach: when you take the chicken from the oven after cooking, remove it to a platter and cover it loosely with foil. Then put the skillet over medium heat and add a splash of water, wine, or stock and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom to bring up all the good stuff (fond). Stir in a package of fresh baby spinach, combine with the juices, and turn off the heat. Cover the skillet and let stand for a few minutes, just until the spinach is wilted. Stir again and serve with the absolutely delicious roast chicken. With its crispy skin and juicy meat, this skin-on chicken breast is amazing—as most Bell & Evans products are–such golden brown, buttery goodness!
Absolutely Delicious Roasted Chicken Breasts
Ingredients
- 2 skin-on boned chicken breasts (about 8 ounces each)
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ½ teaspoon each: garlic powder (or garlic salt), sweet paprika, and dried thyme
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 450F.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper on both sides—go easy on the salt if you are using garlic salt for a seasoning.
- Heat the oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes.
- Place the chicken breasts in the hot skillet, skin side down; cook without moving them until the skin is crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the heat off, but leave the skillet on the hot burner. Flip the chicken breasts so they are skin-side up.
- Add the butter to the skillet - it will melt immediately. Swirl it into the pan juices, then spoon the pan juices on top of the chicken pieces and sprinkle them with garlic powder, paprika, and dried thyme.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake the chicken for 10-12 minutes, until it is cooked through and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part and not touching the bone reads 165F.
- Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer the chicken to a plate or a cutting board.
- Cover it loosely with foil and let it rest for 5 minutes, then spoon the pan juices on top; slice the chicken and serve. To ensure crispy skin, sauté the chicken skin side down---the crispy skin is a delicacy! Sauteing is a somewhat annoying extra step, but the crispy, deliciously buttery result is worth it.