Read One Pan, Two Plates Online

Authors: Carla Snyder

One Pan, Two Plates (25 page)

BOOK: One Pan, Two Plates
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6.
Add the remaining herb butter and the tomatoes to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes burst, about 4 minutes. Smash them partially with a fork and season with salt and pepper.

7.
Divide the pancakes between two warmed plates and top with a chicken breast half and the tomato sauce. Sprinkle the 2 tsp parsley over the top and serve hot.

it’s that easy:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts have to be the most cooked protein on the planet. The problem is that they are often overcooked. To check for doneness, just press with your fingertips. When cooked, they will feel firm to the touch. Press the tip of your nose. They should feel like that. No more guessing about when they’re done.

extra hungry?
Baby greens tossed with a splash of balsamic vinegar and a glug of olive oil with blue cheese crumbles scattered over the top would be very tasty with this homey dish.
in the glass:
You could drink about any dry white or light-bodied red with this dish. One of my favorite reds is a Pinot Noir from Chalone.

One-Pan Roast Deviled Chicken

with
CARROTS, TURNIPS,
and
PARSNIPS

  

The “simple is best” maxim resounds in this roasted chicken-and-vegetable dish. One of the reasons it tastes so good may be that many of us rarely eat chicken cooked with the bone in and skin on anymore and have forgotten how tasty chicken can be. A simple mustard coating seals in flavor and contributes tang to the sweet vegetables that lie below, bathing them in the chicken-y goodness.

........
START TO FINISH
45 minutes
...
HANDS-ON TIME
25 minutes
...
serves 2
........

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil, plus more if needed

1 small yellow onion, cut into 8 wedges

2 new potatoes, scrubbed and each cut lengthwise into 8 wedges

2 carrots, cut in half lengthwise and then into 8 pieces about 2 in/5 cm long

2 parsnips, cut in half lengthwise and then into 8 pieces about 2 in/5 cm long

1 turnip, each cut into 8 pieces about 2 in/5 cm long

1 tsp minced fresh rosemary

2 tsp Dijon or whole-grain mustard

⅓ cup/75 ml beer, chicken broth, or water

2 tsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.
Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

2.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken, skin-side down, and brown it for about 4 minutes. Don’t try to turn the chicken if it’s stuck to the bottom of the pan; it will release once it is sufficiently browned. Turn the chicken with tongs and brown the other side for about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. (It won’t be fully cooked at this point, but the skin should be nicely browned.)

3.
If the pan seems dry, add a little more olive oil. Add the onion, potatoes, carrots, parsnips, turnip, rosemary, ½ tsp salt, and a sprinkling of pepper to the hot pan and sauté, stirring every now and then, until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Spread the skin side of the chicken pieces with the mustard and lay them on top of the vegetables, mustard-side up. Transfer to the oven and roast for 10 minutes. Pour the beer into the pan and roast everything until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender and browned, about 10 minutes longer. Pierce the chicken with a fork to check for tenderness and check the thick part of the breast with an instant-read thermometer. It should read 165°F/74°C.

4.
Divide the chicken and vegetables between two warmed plates, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve hot.

it’s that easy:
It will save you time if you learn to check chicken for doneness by touch. Just get up close and personal with the chicken at different stages of cooking. Press down on it with your finger after it has cooked for 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, et cetera, to familiarize yourself with the changes that occur as it cooks. When chicken is done, it should feel firm to the touch—kind of like the tip of your nose. Double-check by inserting an instant-read thermometer into the thickest part (look for a temp of 165°F/74°C) until you get the hang of it.

extra hungry?
Add a salad of romaine lettuce, diced apple, dried cranberries, walnuts, a splash of cider vinegar, and a glug of olive oil.
in the glass:
The beauty of the wine pairing for this dish is, you can drink just about any wine you’re in the mood to quaff. So whatever your favorite, from Bordeaux to Sauvignon Blanc, uncork a bottle and sip away to your heart’s content.

Sautéed Chicken Breasts

with
LEMON
and
WINTER GREENS

  

A sautéed chicken breast is one of the fastest and most delicious of meals. It cooks in literally minutes and is perfection with only salt, pepper, and olive oil—but the lemony sauce here is like a little exclamation point of citrusy brightness. As for the greens, I’m especially fond of the rainbow variety of Swiss chard. The stems are yellow, pink, red, or pale green and they look beautiful diced and added to the leaves. You can also use dandelion greens, escarole, frisée, or spinach. (Avoid tougher greens like collard or kale for this dish, since they require longer cooking to reach tenderness.) Perhaps the absolute best, if it’s garden season, is a combination of two or three greens—whatever looks good in the produce section.

........
START TO FINISH
35 minutes
...
HANDS-ON TIME
25 minutes
...
serves 2
........

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, pounded to ½-in/12-mm thickness (see “It’s that easy”)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

1 shallot, minced

1 bunch chard, leaves cut into thin ribbons, ribs chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup/60 ml dry white wine, chicken broth, or water

Zest and juice of ½ lemon

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1.
Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

2.
Heat a 12-in/30.5-cm skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tbsp of the olive oil. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken, “skin-side” down. (Even though there is no skin here, the skin side will be the most attractive side to present on the plate.) Cook, without disturbing, until lightly browned on the first side, about 2 minutes. Don’t try to turn the chicken if it’s stuck to the bottom of the pan; it will release once it is sufficiently browned. Turn the
chicken and cook it on the second side for another 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. (It will not be fully cooked at this point.)

3.
Add the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the hot pan along with the shallot and chard ribs. Cook until the chard ribs begin to soften, about 1 minute, then sprinkle in ¼ tsp salt and add a handful of the chard greens. Toss the greens until they wilt. When there is room, add more greens. Continue in this way until all the chard greens are added, tasting and adjusting the seasoning with an occasional sprinkle of salt and pepper as you go. Add the garlic and cook until the greens are completely wilted, about 2 minutes after the last handful is added.

4.
Add the wine to the pan and let it come to a simmer. Nestle the partially cooked chicken breasts into the greens. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low. Simmer the chicken and greens until the chicken is cooked through and the chard is tender, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, divide the chard between two warmed plates. Place a chicken breast atop each bed of chard. Cover to keep warm (or place in a low oven). There should be some liquid remaining in the pan.

BOOK: One Pan, Two Plates
9Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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