Back to Basics

Last quarter, I took my first kitchen class (no knives were used in baking) and from the very beginning, I was haunted by the final. A pass/fail hour and a half practical which involved knife cuts, chicken fabrication and meal consisting of chicken chardonnay, cream of mushroom soup, whipped herb potatoes, glazed carrots, and broccoli florets with hollandaise sauce all served hot. I busted my ass trying to finish on time, keeping everything hot and praying to every deity to not let me overcook my chicken. I did alright, finishing with 20 minutes left on the clock and with an edible chicken breast.

This quarter, we were allowed to choose our own menu based on a mother sauce. The only requirements were that there be chicken, a starch, mother or secondary sauce, and a vegetable. After several days of racking my brain over the menu, I decided I was not going to rush through my final and just get by. I was going to walk in there, pull out my knives and make dinner.

  Chicken Supreme with Oven Roasted Thyme Carrots and a Smashed Potato. I fell in love with the simplicity of this dish and came out on top. Everything came together wonderfully. The sauce was just right, the carrots were tender, the potatoes baked crispy, and the chicken- the chicken was absolutely perfect. Juicy and moist and everything it should be. I was like a proud mother standing over this harmonious meal.

Chicken Supreme w/ Oven Roasted Thyme Carrots and Smashed Potatoes


For Sauce:
1 oz clarified butter
1 oz ap flour
16 oz chicken stock
4 oz mushroom trimmings (for garnish, slice and saute mushrooms)
1 oz cream
salt & white pepper tt

combine flour and clarified butter in pan and whisk continuously to make a blonde roux. Once roux is ready, gradually add stock and continue whisking. Let simmer 15-30 minutes. Add mushroom trimmings and simmer again, aprox 10 minutes. Stir in cream, adjust seasonings and reduce by 1/4. Strain well and set aside.

*i added a fine mince of garlic. It was subtle but added a wonderful note.


For carrots:

1/4 extra virgin olive oil
salt and black pepper tt
thyme tt
3-4 large carrots

Whichever knife cuts you decide to use, make sure they are uniform in size to ensure even cooking. I sliced my carrots in half and then in half again. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and toss carrots until fully coated. Place in a baking sheet/pan lined with parchment paper and bake for 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees.

For potatoes:

red potatoes
a chiffonade of basil
rosemarry, finely chopped
garlic, minced
salt & black pepper tt
paprika tt
parmesan, grated
extra virgin olive oil

Boil potatoes until incredibly tender (cut one in half and check the center) and drain. Place a potatoes on your cutting board and with the bottom of a pan/pot/mug, gently smash your potato until slightly flat. Skin should break open and expose flesh. Smash all your potatoes and place on a lined baking sheet. Sprinkle each potato with the herbs, spices and cheese of your choice and bake @ 350 degrees for about 20-30 minutes.

For chicken:

chicken cut of your choice
ap flour
salt & pepper tt
fat of your choice - i went with clarified butter

Season chicken and dredge in flour, gently shake off excess. Heat your fat on a skillet. Place chicken skin side down and cook until golden brown. When desired color is reached, place in a 350 degree oven and finish off. Aprox. ten minutes.