Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Roast Citrus Chicken With Lemon-Thyme Gravy, Smashed Potatoes & Green Beans

Ingredients:4 legs and 2 whole chicken breasts, cut in half
4 cloves garlic, smashed
10 fresh bay leaves
2 lemons, sliced, plus the juice of half, divided
1 cup green Cerignola or Sicilian olives
1 large onion, chopped
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling
4 large Idaho potatoes (about 1 1/2 pounds), peeled and cut
into about 1-inch cubes
1/2 cup part-skim or whole milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup (about a handful) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
cheese
1/4 (about a handful) Italian parsley, chopped
2 pounds green beans, stem ends removed
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
8 sprigs thyme, leaves removed
Juice of 2 lemons (a few tablespoons of juice)

Directions:Preheat an oven to 450ºF.
To a roasting pan, add the chicken, garlic, bay leaves, lemon
slices, olives and onion. Drizzle everything with EVOO,
season with salt and pepper, and transfer to the oven. Roast,
turning the chicken pieces occasionally, until they are golden
brown and cooked through, about 30-35 minutes.
While the chicken is roasting, place the potatoes into a pot of
cold water over medium-high heat. Bring the water to a bubble
and cook the potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes
depending on their size. Drain the potatoes and return them to
their cooking pot to dry off and cool down slightly. Add a
splash of chicken stock, the ricotta, grated Parmigiano and
parsley to the potatoes and smash them. Place with the lid on
the pot to keep them warm and reserve.
When the chicken is about halfway done, arrange the green
beans on a cookie sheet. Drizzle them liberally with some
EVOO and season with some salt and pepper. Place in the
oven with the chicken and roast for about 15 minutes, until
tender.
When the chicken is almost done, place a medium-size pot
over medium heat and melt the butter. Sprinkle the flour over
the butter and cook it for about 1 minute. Whisk the chicken
stock into the roux along with the thyme. Season the gravy
with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and a splash of
lemon juice.
To serve, place a few pieces of chicken per person on each
plate along with some of the mashed potatoes and roasted
green beans alongside, topping everything off with some of
the lemon-thyme gravy.

No comments:

Post a Comment