Honey-Saffron Chicken

other holiday festivities

Rolling into December I was pretty nervous. November had been a pretty slow month, putting me on the financial edge of not being able to pay my bills. Having ventured out on my own last year was a big leap after a 30 year career of being a salaried chef and I put in a few applications with local grocery chains thinking I could pick up some hours in the meat department. Then in early December the phone began to ring, emails started to come my way and my schedule slowly began filling up. It’s now a week before Christmas, I’ve been running my ass off for the last two weeks and still have a good amount of parties on the books leading up to the new year. It’s been a pretty interesting mix of events. Everything from small little events where I just dropped off the food to a Christmas Gala concert for 150. One event of note had me setting up a high end brunch for 25 woman on a retreat in a church basement. The tables and buffet extravagantly decorated while several dozen Venezuelan migrants sat around the edges of the room waiting their turn to maybe eat. They where eventually allowed to  pick over the scraps after the group left. As the breakfast began they all said a prayer for God to help them be of service and show them the way and path forward. I was slightly disturbed at the disconnect I seemed to be witnessing, yet the migrants had shelter and volunteers would eventually show up to feed them. What a strange world we live in. Maybe it was all a reminder for me to slow down, be grateful for what I have and pay attention to where I can also be of service. I had a night off last night from the hustle and bustle of holiday parties and enjoyed cooking a nice meal at home for my girl and I. It was quite fantastic and I wanted to share to recipe with you guys as well as share some of the delectables I’ve been making the last few weeks. Happy holidays.

Honey-Saffron Glazed Chicken Breast, Fennel-Parsnip Puree

For the marinade: Makes enough for 2 large chicken breast

1 heavy teaspoon saffron

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tablespoons roasted garlic paste

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 teaspoons sriracha

Salt and black pepper

Steep the saffron with the vinegar in a small pan on medium heat for a few minutes. Add to a bowl and whisk in all the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken and let marinade for 15-20 minutes. I used a skin on chicken breast. I lift the chicken out of the marinade and add it to a hot sauté pan, skin side down with a little oil. Turn the heat down and cook slowly to start crisping up the skin. Flip the chicken over and spoon the remaining marinade over the top. Place in a 325 degree oven and cook 15 minutes or until the breast is cooked through. Remove the breast from the pan, setting aside to rest. There will be some black bits around the edge of the pan that is basically over caramelized honey. Scrape it out and discard. Add a 1/4 cup white wine, a pinch more of saffron, 1 tablespoon of butter and another tablespoon of honey. Reduce until a nice sauce forms, just a few minutes. Check for salt & pepper.

Fennel-Parsnip Puree

1 medium fennel bulb, large dice

2 cups parsnip, peeled chopped

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 heavy cream

Salt, white pepper, pinch of nutmeg

Simmer the fennel and parsnip in separate pots in lightly salted water with a few bayleaves and sprigs of fresh thyme until tender. Drain. Remove thyme and bayleaf. Transfer to a food processor, add remaining ingredients and blend until smooth. The consistency should be that of slightly loose mashed potatoes.

I served this dish with some gently steamed asparagus and garnished with some fennel frond.