Dinner Party!

Last Friday, I had a small dinner party. Unfortunately, my dinner table only seats six so I am always limited in the amount of guests I can have over :(  This week, I decided to make a recipe from Aarti.  Aarti was the winner of "The Next Food Network Star" this past season.  I am just now getting into Indian food so I love her POV, point of view, (Indian flare woven into American classics).  Her new show is called Aarti Paarti, and the chicken and potatoes recipe is from the first or second episode she ever recorded. I recommend trying it as I believe it was a success at my dinner party!

I Ain't Chicken Chicken

Serves 4
Source:  Aarti Paarti, The Food Network
http://www.foodnetwork.com/aarti-sequeira/index.html

1 pound small red potatoes (or golden)
EVOO
3 springs fresh thyme
Salt and Pepper
1/4 cup butter softened but not melted
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 large orange zest
2 teaspoons grated ginger
4 chicken breasts, on the bone, skin in tact

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Using 2 sheet trays, line 1 with a cooling rack, and the other lined with parchment. In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with a little olive oil, thyme leaves, and salt and pepper.  Toss well.  Put the potatoes on the sheet lined with parchment paper.  In a small bowl, combine butter, cardamom, orange zest, ginger, salt and pepper, to taste.  Sit together with a spoon until mixed well.  Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Poke a small opening in the clear membrane between skin and the flesh of the chicken breast.  Glide your index finger through the opening, loosening the skin from the flesh, without removing it completely.  You are creating a big pocket for the butter.  Repeat with other chicken. 

Put a spoonful of the butter mixture through the opening you made in the skin of the chicken breast.  Once its in there, smooth out the butter by gliding your finger over the skin, until it's evenly distributed.  Repeat with other breasts.  Arrange chicken breasts on the sheet lined with the cooling rack.  Drizzle olive oil on the skin for extra crispy skin.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Put the potatoes and chicken into oven and roast, turning the pans once halfway through the cooking time and stirring potatoes at about 30 minutes. 

Chicken is ready when an instant read thermometer reads 160 degrees F.  Remove from oven and tent with foil.  Let stand 5 minutes before serving. 


NOTES: I used a huge roasting pan and put the potatoes at the bottom of the pan and then put the grate over the potatoes.  The chicken then rested on top of the grate.  I liked this method as the potatoes would catch the drippings from the chicken adding a touch more flavor to the potatoes in addition to the thyme.  If potatoes are larger in size (more than an two inches in diameter) then you might want to consider throwing them in the oven earlier than the chicken or cutting them in half to avoid under cooking them.

  I Ain't Chicken Chicken & Potatoes

(Pear and Blue Cheese Salad recipe to post in near future!)

- Miss J

Ratings:

Moe, 8 out of 10

Miss J, 9 out of 10