For me there is no food more appealing than roast chicken. I'd be happy to subsist on it all the time. Instead of roasting a whole chicken, which can take an hour or more, I prefer roasting chicken in pieces. It's so much faster especially for a weeknight meal. I love roasting chicken breasts, sometimes a whole bunch at one time. This way I have leftovers for dinner the following night or I can enjoy it for lunch atop a salad the next day. For dinner though, especially when I'm pressed for time, I like to make simple sides. And there's nothing more simpler than roasting vegetables alongside the chicken. Plus with this recipe the chicken and the vegetables both finish at the same time. Now that sounds like a simple supper.
For this recipe I chose to roast carrots and kohlrabi. Their flavors concentrate and sweeten from the high oven heat. Kohlrabi, a turnip-like vegetable with a broccoli flavor, which many people would most likely pass in the market without a second thought, is actually one of my favorite vegetables. I love them in soup, but this roasting method makes them taste even better. With only seven ingredients, this is probably the least fussiest recipes you will ever find. And the end result is so rewarding that you will want to make it again and again. With so little preparation spent in the kitchen there's more time to kick back, relax, and enjoy a glass of wine, perhaps a Chardonnay, to toast the mellow evening.
Roasted Chicken Breasts with Carrots and Kohlrabi
1 pound carrots, peeeled
1 pound kohlrabi, peeled
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
coarse sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 split chicken breasts
poultry seasoning
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut carrots into 2-inch pieces. Thicker pieces should be split lengthwise. Cut kohlrabi into wedges. Combine the carrots, kohlrabi, and 1 tablespoon oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat.
Rinse chicken breasts and pat dry. Season with salt, pepper, and poultry seasoning.
Warm remaining tablespoon of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, sear the breasts skin side down until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Do not move the chicken around while searing. Sear the other side as well.
Make room for the chicken breasts among the vegetables on the baking sheet. Roast until vegetables are knife tender and the chicken juices run clear, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer when inserted into the thickest part of the meat should read 165 degrees F. Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes tented with aluminum foil before serving. The bones may be removed before serving. Yield: 2 servings.
Joseph Erdos is a New York–based writer and editor, but above all a gastronomer and oenophile. He shares his passion for food on his blog, Gastronomer's Guide , which features unique recipes and restaurant reviews among many other musings on the all-encompassing topic of food.