Butter

Pan-Roasted Swordfish with Mixed Peppercorn Butter.
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Pan-Roasted Swordfish with Mixed Peppercorn Butter.

Wholefoods had swordfish on sale for $8.99 lbs and we bought a bunch. love out food saver we divided up and stored some in the freezer. I took a piece out in the morning and on the way home stopped at Shaws grabbed a lemon and some fresh parsley.  I had always seen recipes that oven roasted swordfish but was partly afraid to try because with fish a few minutes to long and you end up with a dry fish. The other reason was out of respect for my Mom who always soaked in grapefruit juice, she said this was a trick she learned from Legals, who now if that was true or a MOMism. Tenn she would coat with mayo and grill. this has been my standard way for many years I might add some Mrs Dash  rub for different flavors before the mayo went on.  Anyway with a quick google I saw this recipe  search among a bunch and my stomach growled. yep that was the one. Got to tell you this was great I only had 1 lb so I cut the butter mixture in half. This fish melted in your mouth heck i ate 1/2 pound and eyed Lyn’s leftovers.

I had to use their picture because we were so hungry i forgot to take a picture of the end results, which was pretty close I might add. Side note I’m starting to love my new cast iron pans.

 

INGREDIENTS

  • 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, plus more for sprinkling
  • 1/2 teaspoon (packed) grated lemon peel
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 4 1-inch-thick swordfish fillets (about 6 ounces each)
    • I had only 1 lbs so I cut the butter mixed in half

How

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mash butter, parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon ground mixed peppercorns, and lemon peel in small bowl. Season to taste with salt.
  2. Heat oil in heavy large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle swordfish with salt and ground mixed peppercorns. Add swordfish to skillet. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn swordfish over and transfer to oven. Roast until just cooked through, about 10 minutes longer. Transfer swordfish to plates. Add seasoned butter to same skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, scraping up browned bits, until melted and bubbling. Pour butter sauce over swordfish and serve

Over all this was wicked easy to prepare and cook. definitely a repeater.

from epicurious

 

 

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Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb with Carrots and Parsnips
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Pomegranate-Glazed Lamb with Carrots and Parsnips

Last week Lyn went shopping for a few things on her own and there were a few impulse buys. We all do that I did it yesterday and ended up with American Chop Suey nice comfort food for a snowy day. Anyway she got a 4 lb. boneless leg of lamb. I used 1 lb to make ground lamb last weekend for Gyros. Today we made this roast and it was well worth the impulse buy well worth it.

Ingredients

Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cup Pomegranate juice
  • 3 tablespoon Sugar
  • 1 teaspoon Black pepper, freshly ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon Red pepper flakes
  • 1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon, ground

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Veggies

  • 4 whole carrots, peeled
  • 1 1/2 cups large parsnips, peeled and thinly sliced – STEVE NOTE I did not have parsnip so I used potatoes
  • 1/3 cup Water

Lamb

  • 3 lb Boneless leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 teaspoon Minced garlic
  • 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
  • 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds – STEVE NOTE I did not have used ground Cumin
  • 1 tablespoon Unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoon Chopped fresh mint

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How:

Look for a mini boneless leg of lamb roast that weighs approximately 3 lb. These small roasts sometimes come prepacked in netting. For a leaner, cleaner tasting lamb we like to trim the fat off the surface. This requires removing the netting, trimming the fat, and retying your roast. The extra work is definitely worth it.

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Combine pomegranate juice, sugar, 1/2 tsp. of the black pepper, red pepper flakes, and cinnamon in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat.

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Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until mixture is thick and syrupy and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 20 to 25 minutes.

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3. Cut carrots and parsnips in half lengthwise and then cut into 3-inch pieces. Place in a microwave-safe bowl with water. Cover with plastic wrap and microwave for 2 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and toss vegetables with 2 Tbsp. of the pomegranate glaze.

4. Place lamb in the center of a large baking dish or roasting pan. Rub garlic into roast. Season with 1/2 tsp. of the salt, remaining 1/2 tsp. black pepper, and cumin seeds. Brush the top and sides of lamb liberally with pomegranate glaze. Distribute vegetables and their liquid around the roast. – STEVE NOTE – I rubbed the roast with garlic and the spices wrapped in plastic wrap and set in refrigerator for a few hours. Took out and let get to room temperature.

5. Roast for 40 minutes, stirring vegetables once or twice, until meat is cooked to about 115 degrees. Brush roast with any remaining glaze (if it has thickened, microwave for 15 seconds). Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Cook until meat begins to brown in spots and the temperature reaches about 125 degrees for medium-rare, 140 degrees for medium, and 160 degrees for well done, according to your preference (about 10 to 20 minutes).

6. If you prefer your lamb more well done and it begins to overbrown, lower heat to 475 degrees and cover meat loosely with foil.

7. Transfer lamb to cutting board, tent with foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, spread vegetables evenly over baking dish and return to oven to bake until all the juices have evaporated and vegetables have begun to caramelize, about 4 to 5 minutes; watch that they don’t burn. Remove baking dish from oven and stir butter and mint into the vegetables.

8. Remove strings and use a sharp knife to cut lamb into thin slices. Transfer vegetables and lamb to platter and serve warm.

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Source: Hannaford fresh Magazine, September – October 2008
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Brown Sugar Basting Glaze – Turkey

I used the buttermilk turkey marinade method, then stuffed it with lemon, oranges garlic and onions and roasted and then brushed on this nice glaze to get not only flavor but that great caramelized color. Make a head gravy is always a must make that last minute prep so much easier.

Ingredients:

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  • 2/3 cup cider vinegar
  • 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

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How:

In a small saucepan, bring vinegar, brown sugar, and orange juice to a boil over high, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until mixture is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons butter and orange zest.

Use this to baste the turkey once it reaches 125 degree every 15 minutes until done. Tent with tinfoil if gets too browned.

We also make a brined turkey the day before so everyone who came could have plenty of leftovers. – just roasted regularly

Related

Buttermilk Turkey (stevesacooking.com)

Maple Syrup and Bacon Turkey (stevesacooking.com)

Make Ahead Gravy (stevesacooking.com)

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Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

This looks good,  I like peanut butter and Lyn likes chocolate. What do I hear Lyn saying honey could you…..

peanut-butter-brownies_medium

For a decadent low-calorie dessert, check out this Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies recipe. Only 162 calories per serving, this treat uses reduced-calorie margarine, brown sugar, egg substitute, and 25% less-fat peanut butter.

Prep time: 22 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes Total time: 47 minutes
Ease of prep: Easy
Makes 16 Servings Portion
Size: 1/16 of recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
  • 1 1/4 cup(s) brown sugar, firmly packed
  • 1/2 cup(s) frozen egg substitute, thawed
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cup(s) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/4 cup(s) 25% less-fat creamy peanut butter
  • vegetable cooking spray

How

  • Combine margarine and brown sugar in a medium bowl; add egg substitute. Beat with electric mixer on medium until thoroughly combined. Add vanilla; beat well.
  • Combine flour, baking powder and salt; add to sugar mixture, stirring well.
  • Divide batter in half. Stir cocoa into one half; stir peanut butter into other half. (Peanut butter mixture will be thick.
  • Spoon dollops of each batter alternately into a 9-inch square pan coated with cooking spray. Cut through batters in pan with a knife to create a swirled pattern. Bake at 350°F for 25 minutes or until a wooden stick inserted in center comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven, and let cool completely on a wire rack.
From Jenny Craig
Reign On Brown Rice Cruncy Oven Fried Fish – Week 7
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Reign On Brown Rice Cruncy Oven Fried Fish – Week 7

Here is a variation of something I made a while back with a twist when it comes to the breadcrumbs. I think it is a healthier offering.

I’ve done with corn flakes, potato chips, panko and regular bread crumbs from package or home made and probably a few others.

Variation of Crunchy oven fired chicken Published September 1, 2008. From Cook’s Illustrated. 

This is very similar to how I do my chicken cutlets either pan-fried or baked minus a few ingredients.

Serves 4

To prevent overcooking, buy fish fillets at least 1 inch thick. The bread crumbs can be made up to 3 days in advance, cooled, and stored at room temperature in an airtight container. Serve with Sweet and Tangy Tartar Sauce (see related recipe) or lemon wedges. Steve tweak: If you have a skinny end of the fish you can always fold under to make it about the same thickness as the other so it cooks evenly.

Ingredients

  • About 2 cups of brown rice cereal – similar to Rice Krispies. Crunched up
  • 1/4 cup plus 5 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour Steve tweak: Whole wheat bread
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional) Steve tweak: optional? Not in my opinion
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1/2 teaspoon paprika
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
  • 1 1/4 pounds skinless cod fillet , or haddock fillet, or other thick white fish fillet (1 to 1 1/2 inches thick), cut into 3-4 pieces
  • Lemon wedges

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Instructions

  1. Place the brown rice Krispies in a plastic bag, let air out, take a rolling pin and roll over until most are crunched and palace in a pie plate.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  3. Place 1/4 cup flour in second pie plate.
  4. In third pie plate, whisk eggs, horseradish (if using), mayonnaise, paprika, cayenne pepper (if using), and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper until combined; whisk in remaining 5 tablespoons flour until smooth.
  5. Spray wire rack with nonstick cooking spray and place in rimmed baking sheet. Dry fish thoroughly with paper towels and season with salt and pepper (optional but recommended to personal taste.) Dredge 1 fillet in flour; shake off excess. Using hands, coat with egg mixture. Coat all sides of fillet with bread crumb mixture, pressing gently so that thick layer of crumbs adheres to fish. Transfer breaded fish to wire rack. Repeat with remaining 3 fillets.
  6. Bake fish until instant-read thermometer inserted into centers of fillets registers 140 degrees, 18 to 25 minutes. Using thin spatula, transfer fillets to individual plates and serve immediately with lemon wedges.

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Note: I have tried this type of rack and a very fine mesh rack, I feel the very fine mesh works much better.

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Joe’s Blueberry Pie
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Joe’s Blueberry Pie

I remember as a kid we used to go to Auntie D’s house to make pies. The adults, under her direction, would all be busy making pie after pie Apple, Blueberry, mixed berry…….. she was and still is in everyone’s mind the measuring stick when it came to pies. Across the street there was a path in the woods, long since taken over by development, to the cranberry bogs and along the way was a gold mine of blueberry bushes. Big fat blueberries all there for the picking. Now this was the important job of the kids fill the buckets and eating our fill. The thought of one of her pies after dinner kept us under control and the buckets returned full. A few years back my wife and I went blueberry picking in Beebe Woods and quickly retreated because of the immediate and massive horse fly attack we fell to. That sure took the romanticism out of picking, there they were bushes, branches plump with hundreds of blueberries under the guard of a flying army. We did find the nearest convenient store and sprayed ourselves but it was just not the same. Anyway I babble…..Joe and I were talking about me buying 4 cases of blueberries from Wholefoods when they had them organic $1.99 a pint. I froze some, made some blueberry syrup, jam, Lyn made muffins and probably bread but mostly I would throw a handful in my morning oatmeal taking advantage of the memory boosting powers of blueberries. They are gone except for a bottle or two of the syrup and I am staring to have trouble remembering why I started writing this  only kidding….so hear ya go  Joe’s Blueberry pie.

Cooks Illustrated Published July 1, 1995.  

Makes one 9-inch pie, serving 6 to 8.

Why this recipe works:

For many years we have tried using flour and cornstarch to thicken fresh fruit pies, but the results have been uniformly poor. After testing cornstarch, flour, tapioca, and arrowroot, we found that the samples of fruit thickened with the root starches, arrowroot and tapioca, were clear and bright in appearance and had the clearest fruit flavor. Of the two, tapioca showed a bit more thickening power and was therefore our favorite. So we developed a fruit pie recipe employing this favorite.

The amount of sugar and tapioca you use is relative, depending on the fruit’s quality and your taste. If you prefer a less sweet pie or if the fruit is especially sweet, use the lower sugar amount. If you like your pie juices fairly thick, or if the fruit is really juicy, then opt for the higher amount of tapioca. If you are using frozen fruit, measure it frozen, but let it thaw before filling the pie. If not, you run the risk of partially cooked fruit and undissolved tapioca.

Joe's Blueberry Pie

Joe’s Blueberry Pie

Ingredients

  • Pie Dough
  • 2 1/4cups unbleached all-purpose flour , plus extra for dusting
  • 1teaspoon table salt
  • 2tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 11tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 1/4-inch cubes
  • 7tablespoons vegetable shortening , chilled
  • 1/3cup water , chilled with ice, increasing up to 3/8 cup, if needed
  • Blueberry Filling
  • 3pints fresh blueberries (6 cups), rinsed and picked over
  • 3/4cup granulated sugar
  • 1 small lemon , zested to yield 1 teaspoon zest and juiced to yield 2 teaspoons juice
  • 1/4teaspoon ground allspice
  • pinch ground nutmeg
  • 3–4tablespoons quick-cooking tapioca
  • 2tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into small pieces

Instructions

1. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in food processor fitted with steel blade. Scatter butter pieces over flour mixture, tossing to coat butter with a little flour. Cut butter into flour with five 1-second pulses. Add shortening and continue to cut it in until flour is pale yellow and resembles coarse cornmeal with butter bits no larger than small peas, about four more 1-second pulses. Turn mixture into medium bowl.

2. Sprinkle all but 1 tablespoon of the ice water over mixture. With blade of rubber spatula, use folding motion to mix. Press down on dough with broad side of spatula until dough sticks together, adding up to 1 tablespoon of remaining ice water if dough does not come together. Divide dough into two balls, one slightly larger than the other. Flatten each into 4-inch-wide disk. Dust lightly with flour, wrap separately in plastic, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

3. Remove dough from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature to soften slightly, about 10 minutes. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Toss fruit with sugar, lemon juice and zest, spices, and tapioca; let stand for 15 minutes.

4. Roll larger dough disk on lightly floured surface into 12-inch circle, about 1/8-inch thick. Transfer and fit dough into 9-inch Pyrex pie pan, leaving dough that overhangs the lip in place. Turn fruit mixture, including juices, into pie shell. Scatter butter pieces over fruit. Refrigerate until ready to top with remaining dough.

5. Roll smaller disk on lightly floured surface into 10-inch circle. Lay over fruit. Trim top and bottom dough edges to 1/2-inch beyond pan lip. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan lip. Flute dough in your own fashion, or press with fork tines to seal. Cut four slits at right angles on dough top to allow steam to escape. If pie dough is very soft, place in freezer for 10 minutes before baking.

6. Place pie on baking sheet; bake until top crust is golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue to bake until juices bubble and crust is golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes longer.

7. Transfer pie to wire rack; let cool to almost room temperature so juices have time to thicken, from 1 to 2 hours.

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The Apple of My Pie

When making our blueberry pie filling, we found that if we used more than 2 tablespoons of tapioca, the texture of the filling took on a gummy consistency we didn’t like. But 2 tablespoons or less resulted in a filling that was too loose. Could we solve this problem with pectin, a gentle thickener that occurs naturally in fruit?

EXPERIMENT

As a control, we thickened one pie with 2 tablespoons tapioca. We then compared it with a second pie thickened with 2 tablespoons tapioca and a grated apple, which is high in pectin and has a mild flavor. (We hoped that grating the apple would make it less noticeable in the baked pie.)

RESULTS

As expected, the pie thickened with tapioca alone was loose and soupy. But the pie thickened with tapioca plus an apple had a naturally gelled texture that was just right. The apple bits seemed to melt into the berry filling during baking, boosting fruity flavor but leaving no textural sign of their presence.

EXPLANATION

Pectin is a natural substance, found in fruits and vegetables, that creates structure in a plant by helping to bind its cell walls together. This same substance is used to thicken jams and jellies into a set, but soft, mass. Pectin content varies from fruit to fruit and also within a plant (more pectin is found in the skin of a fruit than in its flesh, for example). Apples are a great source of pectin because they contain high levels of high-methoxy pectin, the best natural pectin for making gels. By mashing some of the blueberries and grating the apple, we helped to release the pectin from the fruits’ cell walls so that it could thicken the pie filling.

loose

ON THE LOOSE
Pie filling thickened without enough tapioca won’t firm up. But too much tapioca leads to gumminess.

firm

ALL FIRMED UP
A little tapioca plus a grated apple created a juicy but sliceable filling.

I have some bushes in back yard and only wish that they looked like this, I share with the birds, although got a fake owl this year and actually got a few pints

I

Other related posts from stevesacooking

Glazed Blueberry Chicken

Blueberry oatmeal bread

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins and Pepper Biscuits

Lyn’s Blueberry Oatmeal pancakes

STEAK SAUCE
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STEAK SAUCE

Ingredients

  • tablespoons  unsalted butter
  • 2   garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 teaspoons  onion powder
  • 1 teaspoon  pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon  salt
  • 2 teaspoons  soy sauce

First

Melt butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-low heat. Add garlic, onion powder, pepper, and salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Pour all but 1 tablespoon butter mixture into bowl and let that cool slightly, about 5 minutes, save to mix in hamburger meat.

From America's Test Kitchen

Then:

  • 2 tablespoons  tomato paste
  • 2/3 cup  beef broth
  • 1/3 cup  raisins
  • 2 tablespoons  soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons  Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons  balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon  Worcestershire sauce

How:

Add tomato paste to skillet and cook over medium heat until paste begins to darken, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in broth, raisins, soy sauce, mustard, vinegar, and Worcestershire and simmer until raisins plump, about 5 minutes. Process sauce in blender until smooth, about 30 seconds; transfer to bowl.

Image from katedeering.com

 

 

Cuts of meat, I know I always have to ask where did it come from

 

butchering-beef

Related articles
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Blueberry Oatmeal Bread

Richard at the office is into baking  he has made some out of this world banana breads, cakes and muffins. He stuck a piece of this in front of me today and said this is great and he was not lying.

This is Heidi from Go bold With Butter  – She must love Ina Garten who uses a lot of butter while cooking.

I’m a lover of quick breads. Pulling together a few ingredients that can be mixed by hand and dumped into one simple pan, then placed in a hot oven to produce a sweet blueberry surprise topped with a pat of butter is what I call a great weekend treat.

The beauty of this recipe is that it comes together so quickly I don’t even have to wait for the weekend to make it. In about the same amount of time it takes to make a morning omelet I can mix the ingredients, then take a quick shower, put on my face and have something fresh from the oven for my daughter before shuttling her off to school.

I love blueberry muffins so adapting the recipe for a quick bread was a natural. Adding heart-healthy oatmeal to the mix gives it a bonus kick start for my daughter’s morning, and a pick-me-up for my afternoon snack.

Blueberry Oatmeal Bread

richard 1
By Heidi
Makes one loaf

Ingredients:

1 cup blueberries
2 cups flour, plus 1 tablespoon
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup Greek yogurt
2 eggs
½ cup (1 stick) butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 teaspoon vanilla
½ cup oats

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper or lightly butter and dust with flour.

In a small bowl, toss blueberries with 1 tablespoon flour to keep blueberries from sinking. In a large bowl, whisk 2 cups flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, mix yogurt, eggs, melted butter and vanilla together and then fold into the dry ingredients. Add the blueberries and oats and gently combine.

Scrape the mixture to loaf pan. It will be thick and a little sticky. Bake for 50-55 minutes and golden brown and when a toothpick inserted into the bread comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool in the pan for 5 minutes then cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Related post

Jordan Marsh Blueberry Muffins

Pancakes

Healthy Breakfast Scones

by

Quick Lemon Herb Pan Sauce

Shallot bulbs

Ingredients

  • 1-2 shallots, minced fine – in a pinch substitute ¼ cup sweet onion
  • ½  cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme (estimated – fresh would be better – a few sprigs)
  • 1 tsp. dried rosemary (estimated – fresh would be better – a few sprigs)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How:

Remember this is after searing and or roasting something usually chicken

Heat pan over medium heat. Add the shallots to the pan and sauté, stirring, for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the onion is softened. Add the chicken stock and herbs, turn the heat to high. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits of chicken, bring to boil until the stock until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. The plate holding the chicken breasts will have some chicken juice on the bottom; add it to the pan. Turn off the heat, and remove the herb sprigs if you used fresh. Whisk the butter into the sauce, and add salt and pepper to taste.

Quick and easy – wine instead of broth?

Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with Lemon Herb Pan Sauce
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Pan Seared Chicken Breasts with Lemon Herb Pan Sauce

We bought some bone in chicken breast at Wholefoods they were not on our list but on sale. I am not a big white meat fan but it is better for you and Lyn does not like the dark meat I love her and I cater to her like most of the time. Anyway we already used the boneless chicken breast in the Carrot Orange Juice Chicken Noodle Soup and I had planned on doing something with it last night. I was surfing the net on my lunch break and found a few but this one from DadCooksDinner.com caught my eye, I did not have everything he used but had substitutes, onion for shallot, dried instead of fresh herbs and I added lemon juice. I did not notice the title until today when I went back to post. He did call it lemon herb sauce after all, but listed no lemon I took liberties, besides it would not be the first time someone else other than me or my Mom left out one ingredient.  Anyway this came out with crispy skin, moist and tender so good when Lyn walked in the door I said forget your special diet you just got to try this. She asked if I marinated in buttermilk it was so moist and tender. Like he said in his post he has pan seared oven roasted steak, pork etc. – a man after my own heart – he thought why not with chicken.

Ingredients:

  • 1 chicken breasts split, bone in and skin on
  • Kosher salt
  • Fresh ground pepper
  • 1 tsp. canola oil

You can adjust the salt and pepper to your taste, my wife is a pepper head so.

Pan Sauce

  • ¼  cup sweet onion, minced fine
  • ½  cup chicken stock
  • 1 tsp. dried thyme (estimated – fresh would be better – a few sprigs)
  • 1 tsp. dried rosemary (estimated – fresh would be better – a few sprigs)
  • ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
  • ½  tbsp. butter
  • Salt and pepper to taste

How:

Prepare the Chicken: Heat your oven to 350F. If the chicken breasts came with the rib section still attached, remove them- they might get too dried out. Rinse and pat dry chicken. Combine salt and pepper together and sprinkle the chicken all sides. Let rest at room temperature until the pan is heated.

Sear the chicken: Put the teaspoon of oil in your fry pan, and heat over medium heat until the oil is shimmering. Swirl the oil around to coat the pan, then add the chicken, skin side down. Sear for 4 to 8 minutes, or until the skin is a dark golden brown. Flip the chicken and sear the bone side for 4 minutes.

Sear the chicken

*Searing time will depend on how crowded your pan is.  If your pan isn’t very crowded searing will take less time – 4 to 6 minutes.

Roast the Chicken: Move the pan to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. You want to cook the chicken until it is just 160*F in the thickest part of the meat. (The best way to check this is with a remote probe thermometer.)  Remove the pan from the oven, and move the chicken to a serving plate. Keep the oven mitt on the handle this reminds you the handle and pan are still very hot. I have the scars to prove that I had brain fart moments.

Make the Sauce: Remember, the handle is still &*&^%!! Hot. Using an oven mitt or pot holder, put the pan over medium heat. Add the onions to the pan and sauté, stirring, for about 1 minute, until the onion is softened. Add the chicken stock and herbs, turn the heat to high. Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all the browned bits of chicken, bring to boil until the stock until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. The plate holding the chicken breasts will have some chicken juice on the bottom; add it to the pan. Turn off the heat, and remove the herb sprigs if you used fresh. Whisk the butter into the sauce, and add salt and pepper to taste. I am on a self imposed very low salt diet so I used the salt sparingly.

Spoon a teaspoon of sauce over each breast, then serve I also used over the asparagus.

Taken with cell phone

Taken with cell phone