Roasted Chicken with Carrot Purée, Roasted Root Vegetables, and Tarragon Jus
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
6 medium carrots
2 tablespoons salt
2 medium-sized parsnips
1 knob celery root
4 oz. butter
2 oz. thyme
Salt and pepper
4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
16 oz chicken stock
2 oz. fresh tarragon
1 onion, sliced
1 cup white wine
1 oz. grapeseed oil
4 chicken breast; skin on
Tip: Substitute baby carrots instead of larger “horse” carrots. They’re much more desirable!
Method:
Carrot Purée
1. Peel and halve 4 carrots and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Place in a saucepan, and just cover with water. Season water with salt, about 2 tablespoons.
2. Bring water to just boiling, then reduce to a simmer. When carrots start to break down and can easily be puréed with a spoon, remove from heat. Strain off, but reserve, the water.
3. Add carrots and 3 oz of butter to a blender and purée. Adjust thickness of the purée with the reserved cooking liquid; for a smoother purée add more water. Adjust seasoning and reserve.
Root Vegetables
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Peel the remaining 2 carrots, 2 parsnips and celery root and dice into 1/2-inch cubes.
3. Toss with 1 oz. thyme, salt, pepper, and 3 tablespoons olive oil.
4. Roast for about half an hour, or till vegetables are fork tender.
Sauce
1. Sweat the sliced onion in 1 tablespoon of oil.
2. Add white wine and reduce by two-thirds.
3. Top with chicken stock and reduce by two-thirds. Adjust seasoning.
4. Finely chop tarragon and add to sauce.
Chicken
1. Heat a sauté pan over high heat.
2. Add grapeseed oil and chicken breasts to pan and reduce heat to medium, giving chicken a good sear.
3. Cook chicken 80% of the way on the skin side, flip over add 1 oz butter and 1 oz. thyme, baste till chicken is cooked through.
4. To assemble entrée, place the carrot purée on the bottom of a bowl, top with the roasted root vegetables and the chicken breast, pour sauce over the top.