TFF: Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken with Smashed Broccoli and Garlic

My second Tyler Florence Friday post! The same week that I baked up the "taste of summer" coconut bread, I also made Tyler's herb and lemon roasted chicken with smashed broccoli and garlic. This recipe came from Tyler's book, "Real Kitchen." I pass on the same word of advice that Mr. Florence gave me (through his book, of course) -- give yourself plenty of time to marinate the chicken. It'll make the chicken that much more flavorful. This is definitely a full meal in itself -- no need for any starch on the side!

THE RECIPE: Herb and Lemon Roasted Chicken
1 1/4 hours to make + 5 hours to marinate
Serves 2

Ingredients:
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon, peeled in big strips
4 garlic cloves, smashed
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 fresh rosemary sprigs
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon
1 lemon, sliced in paper-thin circles
2 bone-in chicken breasts, 8 ounces each, skin on
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup Chicken Stock
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

What to do:
Start by marinating the chicken because it will take the longest. To infuse the oil with flavor and create a base for the marinade, combine the olive oil with the lemon zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves in a small pot and place over very low heat. You don't want to fry the herbs, just steep them like you're making tea. When the oil begins to simmer, shut off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes. Pour the fragrant oil, solid pieces and all, into a bowl and put it in the refrigerator to cool.

Combine the chopped chives, parsley, and tarragon in a small bowl. Stuff 2 lemon slices under the skin of each chicken breast, along with half of the mixed chopped herbs. Put the chicken in a resealable food storage bag and pour in the cool herb oil, turning to coat really well. Toss in the remaining half of the chopped herbs, seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 5 hours or as long as all day.

Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking so it won't be too cold when it goes into the pan; cold chicken takes longer to cook.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Put a cast-iron (or regular ovenproof) skillet over medium heat. Drizzle the bottom of the pan with a 2-count of olive oil and heat until almost smoking; this will keep the chicken from sticking. Season the chicken with a fair amount of salt and pepper and put it in the pan, skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes or until the skin begins to set and crisp. Flip the chicken and brown another 5 minutes. Flip it yet again, so the skin side is down, and transfer the entire pan to the oven. You want the chicken to render its fat and the skin to crisp up.

Roast the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep it warm while preparing the pan sauce. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered chicken fat and return the skillet to the stovetop. Add the chicken stock 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. Stir in the butter to smooth out the sauce and turn off the heat.

RECIPE: SMASHED BROCCOLI

Ingredients
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 bunch broccoli, about 1 pound, including stems, coarsely chopped
1 cup Chicken Stock
1/4 cup plain yogurt
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

What to do:
While the chicken is in the oven, move on to the broccoli.

Heat the olive oil in a medium pot; add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Throw in the broccoli and toss to coat in the garlic and oil. Pour in the chicken stock, cover, and let the broccoli steam for 10 minutes.

When it is quite soft, pulse the broccoli a few times in a food processor, or better yet, use a handheld blender if you have one. The broccoli should be partly smooth and partly chunky.

Stir in the yogurt to give the broccoli some body and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the smashed broccoli onto 2 plates, lay the chicken on top, and drizzle with the pan sauce.

Results/Comments:
The chicken here was the star of the show for me. Not only did all the chicken's herbs and lemony-ness perfume our house deliciously (and I'm sure, wafted out of our house to tantalize the noses of our neighbors), the chicken itself was also wonderfully moist and flavorful.

To maximize what I already had in my pantry, I used dry bay leaves and dry chives (instead of fresh) for the chicken, which turned out well.

I was rather indifferent to the smashed broccoli. I actually love broccoli, and growing up, it was one of the few vegetables that I wanted to eat! The smashed broccoli though didn't appeal to me as much. I don't think there is anything I would change about the smashed broccoli -- I just think I'm more of a crunchy broccoli type of girl. The red pepper flakes (which I love) and garlic though were excellent flavor pairs for the smashed broccoli.

So cheers to another Tyler Florence recipe! Now to explore the next possibilities... I'm thinking maybe Thai Green Curry Chicken or maybe that brisket Tyler made on "Tyler's Ultimate..." I'd like to get a brisket in anyways before it starts to get too warm out!