Roasted Chicken with Collards, Red Onion, and Sweet Potato Chips
This quick and easy dish is an elegant answer to last-minute dinner guests. It is filled with Southern flavors, from the collard greens to the sweet potatoes to the molasses-based sauce. Guests will agree that the flavor components are very complementary!
Ingredients
- Garlic Olive oil
- Garlic Clove - 1, peeled
- Olive Oil - 1 cup
- Collards
- Collard Greens - 2-1/2 cups (alt. kale)
- Chicken Stock - 3 cups
- Red Onions
- Garlic Olive Oil (above) - 2 tablespoons
- Red Onions - 2 cups, 2 cups red onions, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick julienne
- Sweet Potato Chips
- Garlic Olive Oil - 1/4 cup (above)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Sweet potatoes - 2, (about 1-1/2 pounds), peeled and sliced very thin
- Molasses Sauce
- Molasses - 3 tablespoons
- Chicken Stock - 1/2 cup
- Veal Stock - 1/2 cup
- Red Pepper Flakes - 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt - 1/8 teaspoon
- Freshly ground white pepper - 1/8 teaspoon
- Chicken
- Chicken Breasts - 2 whole, free-range, with wings attached
- Garlic Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon (above)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Butter - 3 tablespoons
Instructions
To make the garlic olive oil: In a small saucepan, place the garlic and oil over very low heat and simmer until the garlic is tender. Remove the pan from the heat, cool, and pour through a fine-meshed strainer into a glass jar or bottle. Cover.
To cook the collards: Remove and discard the coarse stems from the collards. Wash the leaves thoroughly and drain well. The easiest way to chop the collards is to stack the leaves and cut crosswise, then lengthwise into 1/2-inch pieces. In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken stock to a boil over high heat. Add the greens and cook about 6 minutes, or until just tender. Drain thoroughly. Set aside.
To prepare the red onions: In a large skillet, heat the garlic oil over medium-low heat. Add the onions, salt, and pepper, and stir 1 minute. Cook about 15 minutes, until the onions are tender, stirring occasionally. Add the collards to the pan, stir to combine, and keep warm over very low heat.
To make the sweet potato chips: Preheat the oven to 450 F. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, salt, and pepper together, adjusting seasonings to taste. Arrange the potato slices, not touching, in rows on an oiled baking sheet. Brush with the oil mixture and roast in the upper third of the oven for 18 to 22 minutes, or until they are golden and crisp, turning once with a spatula. Transfer the potatoes to paper towels to drain, sprinkle them with additional salt and pepper to taste. Set aside; keep warm.
To prepare the sauce: In a small non-aluminum bowl, combine all ingredients.
To prepare the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 F. Brush the chicken with the garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. In a large non-stick skillet, heat another tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook about 4 minutes, until golden. Turn the chicken over and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake about 11 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet, drain on paper towels, and slice on the diagonal; there should be 8 slices per whole breast.
Place the same skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half in volume. Remove from the heat and add the butter, one tablespoon at a time, making sure the butter is completely incorporated before adding the next piece.
To serve: Place one-fourth of the collard mixture in a mound in the center of each serving plate. Fan three sweet potato chips next to the collards, and arrange the chicken pieces in a fan over the collards. Drizzle the sauce over the chicken and around the base of the plate.
