Are you looking for a fresh meal with clean flavours - this one's for you! Gourmet chicken from Holte or Stange farm delivers some of the best chicken in Norway. The fowl live a longer life than what's normal, and enjoys more space and better food which gives them a better quality life. This also give us better tasting meat, so its win win!
When you have such beautiful meat, do not overload it with many confusing - or too many flavours. I like to bake some seasonable wedge and cremini mushrooms with thyme and garlic in the oven to accompany the fowl.
You need for 2 people:
400 g of gourmet chicken filets (Holte or Stange for Norwegians) I used one that was already marinated in provence spice, but this is easy to do your self, see the post "summer is on your doorstep" for receipt and switch the rosemary for thyme.
Fresh thyme
6 cremini mushrooms
1 large sweet potato
1 garlic
10 shallots
2 carrots
1 fennel
1 parsnip
butter, salt and pepper
Honey
olive oil
How to:
Turn the oven on 200 degrees celsius. Prepare the wedge as seen below - in approximately 2 cm squares. The shallots can just be left whole, just peal them. The garlic cloves can be pealed as well and lightly bashed. Dress the vegetables in 1 dl olive oil, a good pinch of salt, pepper, a handful of fresh thyme and 3 tbs of honey. Bake in oven for 30-40 minutes until soft and golden. Stir often so it will cook evenly.
When its 20 minutes until the meal is done start frying the chicken. Use one tbs of butter and the same of olive oil, and get the pan very hot before you start. Fry the skin side down first. The skin will release a lot of yummy juices so use a brush and brush that back onto the filet so it induces in its own flavours. When its golden on both sides, turn the heat down and put on a lid. Leave to cook for about 10 minutes - until you can touch it and it feels like the inside of your hand (the soft spot underneath your thumb), then it should be done. Rest the meat for 5-10 minutes under some aluminum foil for best result!
Now over to the mushrooms. These will also be baked, but they only need about 15 minutes in the oven. Remove the stems and fill them with some shaves of a garlic clove, thyme, salt, pepper and butter as seen above. Put in an oven dish and put into the oven when the vegetables have 15 minutes left to cook.
Now you can just plate up and serve! This meat is so tender you do not need any sauce, in addition to the mushrooms and wedge which is also quite juicy from being bake in the oven. However, some good cabernet sauvignon is a must!
(Ps, you might think that white wine should go with chicken, yet this meal has so many rich flavours so a bottle of red is more suited)
ENJOY!
