In this simple skillet dinner, the skin side of bone-in chicken breasts are seared, then roasted on top of a bed of sunny Mediterranean vegetables. Keep in mind, the recipe advises the use 12-ounce chicken breasts, using larger ones will require a longer cooking time and thus overcook the veggies. The only pieces available when we shopped weighed in at 18 ounces, 50% larger! (The first grocery store we visited, had no bone-in breasts at all.)
*The Hubs Hack: Because of the larger pieces, after browning the skin, we put the pan with the chicken skin side up in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes before removing them and adding the vegetables. The breasts were then placed on top of the veggies and the skillet was returned to the oven until the chicken reached an internal temperature of 160Ā°F., about 30 min. (Check temp after 20 minutes.)
Before cooking, the veggies are tossed with herbes de Provence, an aromatic seasoning blend that typically includes rosemary, thyme, savory, marjoram and oregano, and sometimes other spices and herbs such as fennel, sage, lavender and tarragon.
Dry vermouth, with its herbaceousness, is an ideal deglazing liquid for the browned bits left in the pan after searing the chicken, but dry white wine works, too. The vermouth and caper brines are important because they really help take this dish over the top and not just an average chicken and vegetable dish. We usually like thighs over breasts in similar recipes, but these turned out juicy with good crispy skin.
Another food item that the store was completely out of was zucchini, so we just substituted a yellow summer squash. And again, because of the enormous breast size, we roasted only two, which was still enough to feed four people.
Pan-Roasted Chicken and Summer Vegetables with Herbes de Provence
Ingredients
- 4 12-oz. bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper
- 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 2 Tbsp. herbes de Provence
- 6 medium garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
- 1 medium red onion, halved and sliced about Ā¼ inch thick
- 1 yellow, orange or red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, cut into Ā¼ slices
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, uncut
- 1 small zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise Ā¼ inch thick
- Ā¼ cup drained capers, plus 1 Tbsp. caper brine
- Ā½ cup dry vermouth
- 1 cup lightly packed fresh basil, torn (optional)
Directions
- Heat the oven to 475ā with a rack in the middle position. Season the chicken on all sides with salt and pepper. In a large bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of oil, the herbes de Provence, Ā¼ teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Add the garlic, onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, zucchini and capers, then toss to combine; set aside.
- In a 12-inch skillet oven-safe skillet over medium-high, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil until shimmering. Add the chicken skin down and cook without disturbing until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the chicken skin up to a large plate. (If your chicken weighs much more than 12 ounces each, see note above.*)
- Pour off and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from the skillet. Add the vermouth, bring to a boil over medium-high and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook, stirring, until just warmed through, about 1 minute, then distribute in an even layer. Nestle the chicken skin up in the vegetables and add any accumulated juices. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the thickest part of the breast reaches about 160Ā°F, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the oven (the handle will be hot). Transfer the chicken skin up to a serving platter. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables the platter, arranging them around the chicken.
- Set the skillet over high, bring the liquid to a simmer and cook, stirring, until slightly thickened and reduced, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, stir in the caper brine, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce around the chicken and over the vegetables. Sprinkle with basil (if using).
Adapted from a recipe by Rose Hattabaugh for Milk Street
Accounting for Taste 