Lemony Mushroom Roasted Split Breasts

Ingredients:

o  2 pasture-raised Split Chicken Breasts (1 pack; 1.5-2 lbs.)

o  1 pint Oyster Mushrooms; pulled apart or roughly chopped

o  ¾ - 1 cup reduced Chicken Bone Broth (see notes)

o  ¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

o  1 Tbsp. arrowroot powder (or corn starch)

o  1 medium-large shallot; finely sliced

o  1 Tbsp. butter or ghee

o  1 tsp. cooking oil

o  ½ tsp. coarse kosher salt

o  ¼ tsp. freshly ground pepper

o  ¼ tsp. garlic powder; divided

o  Poultry seasoning

Directions:

1.      Rinse split breasts under cold running water, being careful not to splash. Remove to a plate and pat dry.

2.      Preheat oven to 400-degrees and begin to warm a large cast iron (or other heavy-bottom, oven-safe) skillet over low heat.

3.      Season both sides of chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Season with garlic powder, reserving a small amount, followed by a light sprinkling of poultry season.

4.      Increase temperature under skillet to medium-high. Add butter or ghee, followed by mushrooms, finely-sliced shallots and remaining garlic powder. Sautee for a few minutes until mushrooms just begin to crisp on the edges and shallots begin to soften. Remove to a plate.

5.      Add oil to the skillet, followed by seasoned breasts, skin-side-down. To more evenly crisp the final product, you may weigh the breasts down in the skillet with another heavy pan. Cook for about 4-5 minutes, or until lightly-browned skin easily releases from the pan. Remove briefly to a plate.

6.      Whisk together lemon juice, chicken broth and arrowroot in the skillet. 

7.      Replace the split breasts into the skillet, skin-side-up and put into the preheated oven.

8.      Cook for 25-30 minutes, stirring the mushroom-shallot mixture in to incorporate for the last 5 minutes. 

Notes:

·      This is a very lemon-forward dish. If you’d like only “hint” of lemon, I’d suggest reducing the lemon juice to 1/8 cup.

·      For reduced chicken broth, you can reduce a basic chicken bone broth or stock by half, simmering uncovered in a sauce pan on the stove top. Otherwise, you could use a stock concentrate or bouillon and reconstitute with less water than called for.