Goddess Of Scrumptiousness

ROASTED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH CREAMY THYME GRAVY

I know for a fact that chicken is the best safety net any cook can rely on without the least bit of stress.

I believe that chicken is the best friend of frugal gourmets as well as home cooks because this main protein is always reasonably priced, it is always available everywhere and there are hundreds of scrumptious dishes one can come up in their very own kitchen. I mean, can there be anything more simple, yet so satisfyingly good than a salt and pepper fried chicken? … Yes, I thought so too!

These Roasted Chicken Breasts with Creamy Thyme Gravy dish only took me 35 minutes to prepare and cook. It was the result of one of my “composed panic” attacks as I went on overtime editing my photos and became oblivious of the time. It dawned on me that I only had an hour to cook lunch. So instead of using a whole chicken, I decided to use 2 whole chicken breasts with the skins on.

I am very happy with this dish because I kinda practically cheated off from the whole concept of a proper roast chicken. I ended up with something that is very easy to whip up yet tastes exactly like the original thing minus the bones. And the Creamy Thyme Gravy was indeed a proper gravy… it was creamy, thymy and chickeny! So need I say more? :)

Ingredients:

2 whole (deboned) chicken breasts

2 tablespoons GARLIC AND PAPRIKA SPICE RUB

2 tablespoons light olive oil (for pan searing)

For the Creamy Thyme Gravy:

1/4 cup jus or drippings (from the roasted chicken breasts)

2 tablespoons powdered chicken soup mix, dissolved in 1 cup room temperature water

2 tablespoons cream

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 sprig of fresh (stemed)

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Procedure:

Sprinkle and rub the garlic and paprika spice mix all over both chicken breasts. Make sure to rub some of the spice mix underneath the skins so that the meat under gets seasoned too.

Turn the chickens skin side down and pull the skins on both sides. Overlap the skins and secure with toothpicks, doing this will prevent the skins to shrink on top of the breasts and also will prevent the meat from drying out while those roasts in the oven.

Heat a medium sized skillet along with the light olive oil over medium-high heat. Sear the breasts skin side down (2 minutes) until the skins gets caramelized and crisped up. Then turn and sear the flesh side for 1 minute. Place the seared breasts onto a medium roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil. Roast inside a pre-heated 375’F oven for 15-20 minutes or when a meat thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the meat reads 180’c- the right internal temperature for poultry and an indication that the roasts are fully cooked inside. Rest chicken for 5 minutes before carving.

Tip: Having a meat thermometer in your kitchen is advisable specially when you bake or roasts beef, pork or chicken, as having an accurate reading of the internal temperature of meats will not only inform you about the doneness of a specific protein you are cooking, but also informs you whether the meat is at a temperature that is safe for consumption.

For the gravy:

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat. Pour chicken jus/drippings into the pan. Add the water and chicken soup solution. Stir/whisk the gravy mixture until it thickens. Add the dried thyme and cracked black pepper. Finish the gravy with the cream and whisk to thoroughly incorporate. Serve gravy over the sliced chicken breasts. Accompany this dish with sides of mashed/roasted potatoes and a simple salad of greens.

Serves 3 to 4 persons.

Source: goddessofscrumptiousness