Pan-Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms and Rosemary

Making meals for one or two people is paradoxically difficult, it would seem that the less people you have to cook for, the easier cooking should be, but in most cases it isn't. Condensing a recipe that is meant to serve 4 or 6 people down to 1 or 2 people is not easy, and involves a lot of math (ew). How do you half a recipe that calls for 3 eggs? So whenever I find recipes that serve one or two people, I practically jump for joy.

I recently planted a mini windowsill herb garden (!) that contains: rosemary, basil, oregano, and sage. So far nothing has died! Rosemary is one of my favorite herbs and I had 3 chicken breasts waiting to be thawed and eaten in my freezer. I decided to search my recipe books and the internet for a simple rosemary chicken meal that I could make for myself. Somehow, I actually found a rosemary chicken recipe that serves one! Thank you Tyler Florence :)

On my mission to find recipes that serve less people, I stumbled upon a preview magazine at Target by America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Illustrated titled Cooking for Two 2009: The Year's Best Recipes Cut Down to Size. This preview (you can order the hardcover recipe book which is 312 pages long here) is 64 pages long and features 63 recipes like Chicken with Couscous and Spinach, Chicken Kiev, Grilled Chicken Fajitas, Pan-Roasted Chicken and Vegetables, Beef Wellington with Madeira Sauce, Lighter Meat Loaf, Baked Manicotti, Lasagna, Pan-Fried Crab Cakes, Seafood Risotto, Ricotta Gnocchi, Potato Gratin, and New York-Style Cheesecake that all serve 2 people. I was so excited when I saw this, I immediately put it in my shopping cart. Not only does this magazine feature recipes made for 2, it features amazing recipes that would be extrememly hard to cut down to size by myself. Several of my next posts will probably feature recipes from this magazine!

Anyways, onto the Pan-Roasted Chicken that I found courtesy of foodnetwork.com before I bought the Cooking for Two magazine! I only had boneless, skinless chicken breasts on hand so that is what I used instead of boneless chicken breast with skin and wing attached. I was a little worried it would be dry and flavorless, but it definitely wasn't! Not to mention, boness skinless chicken breasts are healthier. The chicken ended up be tender and perfectly cooked. The shallots were softened and very sweet and the mushrooms were tender and substantial. The rosemary added a perfect pine-y flavor that complemented the sweetness of the shallots. I used chicken broth instead of water for the sauce to add more flavor. My sauce was not very thick but it added a brightness and freshness to the dish. This recipe was quick and easy and left hardly any dishes to be cleaned. I will definitely be making this chicken again!

Pan Roasted Chicken with Mushrooms and Rosemary

• 1 (6-ounce) boneless chicken breast with wing attached, with skin
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 5 fresh white mushrooms, halved
• 2 shallots, halved
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 1/4 cup water (I used chicken stock)
  
• 1/2 lemon, juiced

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Season the chicken on both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place a cast-iron or regular ovenproof skillet on the stove over medium heat. Drizzle the pan with the oil and lay the chicken in the hot fat, skin-side down. Cook for about 5 minutes until the skin begins to set and crisp. Throw in the mushrooms, shallots, and rosemary. Stick the whole thing in the hot oven and roast for 15 minutes until the chicken is cooked, and the mushrooms and shallots are soft and roasted.
The last thing to make is a quick sauce using the flavors left in the bottom of the skillet. Take all the stuff out of the pan and arrange on a dinner plate to keep warm while preparing the pan sauce. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered chicken fat and return the skillet to the stovetop. Stir in the water and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, scraping up the flavors with a wooden spoon. Cook the liquid down to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Drizzle the pan sauce over the dish, season with salt and pepper.