Gosh, we just love peasant-feeling dishes. They are so simple, rustic, satisfying, and, usually, low in calories. This skillet dish is all of the above and is 413 (minus the peasant bread we suggest to enhance it) calories per serving. Nice. Rosemary and a strong lemon presence exhilarate this dish, and creminis and baby red potatoes “beef” it up in a delightful, comforting way. This recipe calls for making a paste out of the rosemary, garlic, salt, and red pepper flakes by chopping and then smashing them with side of your knife. This is really fun and releases some beautiful aromas for your cooking enjoyment.
Tip (unsponsored): Skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts aren’t always super easy to come by at every grocery store (we find ours at Walmart consistently), so use skin-on, bone-in thighs if you must (your cook-time will be shorter as these pieces are smaller than breasts). Just make sure you have skin and bones – the source of the flavor.
Have your kids help you remove the rosemary leaves from their sprigs and squeeze the lemons, taking note of the fantastic aromas. Let them help you cut the mushrooms in half (with supervision). As you prepare and enjoy this meal with your family, teach them about some of the health benefits of some of the ingredients:
- Red potatoes’ skins are full of iron, which helps your blood to oxygenate your body.
- Lemons have tons of vitamin C, which may make it harder to develop asthma.
- The oil in rosemary can be used as an anti-fungal.
Most countries seem to have versions of skillet peasant dishes, but let’s learn about England and it’s people since we don’t get to do that too often:
- The English drink more tea than anyone else in the world (shocker).
- Policemen in England only carry guns in emergencies.
- Champagne was invented in England, not France!
From: Skillet Rosemary Chicken
- ¾ pound small red-skinned potatoes, halved, or quartered if large
- Kosher salt
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, plus 1 tablespoon leaves
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Juice of 2 lemons (squeezed halves reserved)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each)
- 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved
- Preheat the oven to 450. Cover the potatoes with cold water in a saucepan and salt the water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until tender, about 8 minutes; drain and set aside.
- Pile the rosemary leaves, garlic, 2 teaspoons salt and the red pepper flakes on a cutting board, then mince and mash into a paste using a large knife. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Stir in the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Add the chicken and turn to coat.
- Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, cover and cook until the skin browns, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken; add the mushrooms and potatoes to the skillet and drizzle with the juice of the remaining lemon.
- Add the rosemary sprigs and the squeezed lemon halves to the skillet; transfer to the oven and roast, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the skin is crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.
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