Pan-Roasted Blackened Cajun Chicken with Oven Frites
by Alex Snodgrass - The Defined Dish
Ingredients
Pan Roasted Blackened Chicken
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 lbs boneless, skin-on chicken breasts about 1 1/4 pounds
- 1 tablespoon avacado oil
- 1/2 cup dry white wine substitute chicken broth plus 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot starch
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter or whole 30 use ghee
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Oven Frites
- 1 1/4 pounds russet potatoes or 2 large potatoes
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Pan Roasted Blackened Cajun Chicken
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- in a small bowl, combine the salt,pepper, thyme, cayenne pepper, paprika, rosemary, and oregano. Set aside.
- Pat the chicken breasts dry and season the skin side with half the spice mixture.
- in a medium oven-safe skillet, heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat until just starting to smoke. Carefully lay out the chicken breasts into the hot skillet skin side down. Cook without moving until the skin is deep golden brown and very crisp, about 6 minutes. While cooking season the second side of the chicken with the remaining spice mixture. Carefully flip the chicken breasts and transfer the skillet to the oven. Bake until cooked through, or when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the breasts registers 150 degrees, 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and set aside, reserving the pan juices in the skillet.
- In a medium bowl, combine the wine, chicken broth, and arrowroot and whisk until the arrowroot dissolves. Set aside.
- Pour off all but about 1 teaspoon of the fat from the skillet and place the pan over high heat. Add the garlic along with the wine mixture, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Cook, stirring until the sauce is reduces by two -thirds, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add butter and the lemon and allow the butter to just melt. Stir to combine. Taste the pan sauce and season with more salt and pepper, if desired.
- Slice the chicken breasts and serve on individual plates. Spoon plenty of pan sauce over the slice chicken and serve with the oven frites.
Oven Frites
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Scrub the potatoes well, then cut them lengthwise into 1/2 inch wide fries.
- Place the fries in a large bowl and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper until evenly coated.
- Spread the fries across the prepared baking sheet in a single layer (you may need two baking sheets to ensure they are in a single layer and have plenty of room to crisp up).
- Bake in the oven until potatoes are golden brown all over and crisp, about 30 minutes (and no, you do not need to toss during the cooking time at all).