Perfect Chicken Breast
30m prep 25m cook 55m ready
Crispy-skinned bone-in chicken breasts with a creamy pan sauce and spicy salsa macha. The chicken is seasoned and air-dried overnight for optimal texture and flavor.
Ingredients
- 4 skin-on bone-in chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- fresh thyme
- 1/2 tsp arrowroot starch
- 1 tbsp cassava flour
- 1/2 cup canned coconut milk
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 lime juiced
- Cashew and Chile de árbol Salsa Macha
- 8 oz grass-fed butter
- 2 medium celeriac roots peeled and cubed to 1-inch
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 pinch ground cloves
- 1/2 cup coconut cream
- 1/4 cup strained almost burned butter ghee
- 1/4 tsp bits
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Estimated based off 10 of 21 identified ingredients (per 100 g food data, scaled by amount).
Vitamins & minerals
- Calcium: 18.7 mg
- Iron: 0.87 mg
- Magnesium: 28.4 mg
- Phosphorus: 104 mg
- Potassium: 242 mg
- Zinc: 0.67 mg
Let's Cook
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Step 1.
Sprinkle the chicken breasts all over with 1 tablespoon salt and place them on a rack over a dish in the refrigerator overnight. Do not cover; allow to air dry.
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Step 2.
An hour before you are ready to cook the next day, remove the chicken breasts from the refrigerator and sprinkle all over with 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, ½ teaspoon granulated garlic, and ¼ teaspoon ground allspice. Allow to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
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Step 3.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
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Step 4.
In an ovenproof heavy-bottom skillet, preferably cast iron, heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke. Turn the heat down to medium. Add the chicken breasts to the pan, skin side down, and cook until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes.
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Step 5.
Turn the breasts over and add 3 or 4 sprigs fresh thyme to the pan. Immediately place the skillet in the oven and bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, or until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 145°F.
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Step 6.
Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to sit in the pan on the stove top for 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken breasts, still skin side up, to a cutting board and tent with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes more, enough time to prepare the pan sauce.
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Step 7.
While the chicken rests, make the pan sauce: There should be a good amount of natural chicken fat in the skillet. Remove enough to leave about 2 tablespoons in the skillet. Discard the thyme sprigs. Place the skillet over medium heat. Stir in ½ teaspoon arrowroot starch and 1 tablespoon cassava flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the flours begin to turn golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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Step 8.
Slowly whisk in ½ cup coconut milk and ½ cup chicken broth and bring to a simmer. Cook for 2 to 3 more minutes until thickened, continuing to stir. Add the juice of 1 lime and season with more salt and pepper. Set aside.
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Step 9.
Carefully carve the breasts off the bones, being sure not to remove the skin. Slice each breast on a bias into ½-inch-thick slices.
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Step 10.
Serve the sliced chicken on top of a generous spoon of pan sauce. Drizzle with dots of Cashew and Chile de árbol Salsa Macha.
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