Pan Roast Chicken with Carrots and Almonds

This pan roast chicken with carrots and almonds is the kind of food that makes my heart sing. It’s crazy simple and straightforward, with just a few basic ingredients, but the taste is out of this world. The chicken is moist with crispy skin, the carrots and sweet and earthy, and it all gets pulled together with lemony yogurt – one of my very favorite condiments. Oh, did I mention that the whole thing can be on the table in under an hour? It’s basically magic. I wish I could say I splurged for the very best ingredients with this one, using carrots that were just plucked from my garden or that, at the very least, were purchased at the farmer’s market. It wouldn’t be true though – in fact, I used carrots that were shoved in the back of my fridge and half frozen. I actually had second thought about using them, but they were still delicious. The one thing I did splurge a little on was Marcona almonds, which are moister, sweeter, and all around more delicious than “regular” almonds. They’re a little pricier, but a little goes a long way and I think they’re worth every cent. I also used coarse gray sea salt, which isn’t particularly expensive but might require a special trip to a gourmet store. It tastes like the ocean and it really shines in simple dished like this one.

Pan Roast Chicken with Carrots and Almonds

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 6 carrots, sliced at an angle
• 1/4 cup Marcona almonds
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• grey sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 2 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts
• 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
• 1/4 cup plain low-fat Greek yogurt (I like Cabot)
• 1 lemon, juiced

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. Toss carrots, almonds, honey, and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small baking dish. Season with salt and pepper; roast 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken skin-side-down on the hot skillet; cook 8-10 minutes or until golden brown and crisp. Turn the chicken over and transfer the pan to the oven (just stick it right next to those carrots). Roast 10-15 minutes, or until cooked through.
3. Remove the chicken from the skillet. Add the carrots, shallot, parsley, and rosemary. Stir gently, coating the carrots with the pan juices and allowing the heat from the pan to soften the shallot.
4. In a small dish, mix together the yogurt and lemon juice. Season with salt. Serve the chicken and carrots with the yogurt sauce.

Notes

Adapted from Bon Appetit.