I run a lot of food tours in Paris, and one of the most surprising tidbits I often share with my American guests is that chicken isn’t all that cheap, in France; when you’re looking for a quick and easy meal, here, most people turn, instead to pork. A point of comparison? At the grocery store, six pork chops can run you as little as five euro; six chicken breasts, meanwhile, come in at around 15.
Still, I sometimes like to opt for chicken breasts as a quick, easy main; I just prefer to make them the star, as in this Buddha bowl.
To bring out the true flavor of the chicken, I cook it in schmaltz. I also save the drippings from every roast chicken I make (in a jar in the fridge) and use it to cook the roasted vegetables, so they get tons of chicken flavor too. Served with a lemon-tahini sauce, this dish has all of the flavors of a lemony roast chicken dinner without the two hours (and hot kitchen) the more wintery dish requires.
Chicken Breast Buddha Bowl (serves 2)
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
2 tablespoons leftover roast chicken drippings (or 2 tablespoons schmaltz)
2 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon schmaltz
1 heaping tablespoon tahini
juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons water
2 handfuls baby spinach
1/2 cup sauerkraut (I love this homemade beet and red cabbage sauerkraut)
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the potatoes and carrots with the drippings as well as a pinch of salt. Arrange in an even layer on a baking dish, and roast for 20 minutes, or until crisp.
Meanwhile, heat the schmaltz in a skillet. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and cook over high heat for 3-4 minutes per side, to get a nice sear. Place the skillet in the oven for an additional 5 minutes, to ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through.
Remove the chicken and vegetables from the oven. Set the chicken on a board to rest, and toss the vegetables with the garlic powder.
To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
To assemble, arrange a bed of spinach on each plate. Top with the vegetables and kraut. Slice the chicken breasts into slices,and arrange over the vegetables. Drizzle with the dressing and serve.
(I love to serve this dish with a drizzle of homemade chili oil too!)