Chicken, Beet, Butternut Hash

Have this for breakfast or dinner. Substance, flavor, and color are all here. Enrich the dish with a poached or fried egg, top with béchamel or a Hollandaise or Maltaise sauce*.

INGREDIENTS:

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into ¼ inch dice (if you have left over rotisserie chicken breast it will work great)

2 medium yellow or white onions, cut into ¼ inch dice

2 cups roast beets (see recipe on site) tossed with white balsamic vinegar cut into ¼ inch dice

2-3 cups (1 medium-large) butternut squash, cut into ¼ inch dice

½ + ½ cup dry white wine 

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped

½ teaspoon fresh oregano leaves, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Neutral flavored or light buttery flavored olive oil as needed

1-2 tablespoons butter for flavor if desired

-Optional-

Béchamel (see recipe on site) as desired

4-8 poached or fried eggs

METHOD:

Heat a very large skillet over medium-high heat. While skillet heats, toss chicken with oil to coat all over, then season all over with salt and pepper and some of the herbs. In a separate bowl, (after washing hands well) do the same to the butternut squash. Be sure to have herbs left over so you can season the whole dish.

When the skillet is hot, film with oil. When oil is hot, add the chicken. Do not crowd the pan. If needed cook the chicken in 2 batches. Sear the chicken so it colors all over, getting it crisp at the edges and on some of the sides as well. Add a ½ cup of wine and cook, stirring, until the wine has evaporated and the chicken is just cooked through. If cooking chicken in batches, color the first batch without the wine, then color the second and when colored, add the first batch in and then the wine. Cook to brown up and crisp the chicken. Remove to a clean bowl with a slotted spoon, leaving the liquid and any oil behind.

Add the onions to the pan, adding a little oil if the pan is dry. Toss and season with salt and pepper and some herbs. Cook until the onions turn translucent. Make a well in the onions and add the minced garlic. Sauté until the garlic is fragrant and softening. Do not allow to brown or color. When fragrant, add the second ½ cup wine and toss to coat onions in wine, scraping the pan bottom to scrape up the fond from the chicken left in the pan. Sauté until wine reduces 100% and onions are clear and tender but not browned at all. Transfer to bowl with chicken.

Coat the pan floor evenly with oil and get hot. The oil should be shivering on the surface and little wisps of steam should be just visible leaving the surface of the oil. Carefully add the squash cubes to the pan, but do not crowd them. Do in 2 batches if necessary. Cook without disturbing the squash cubes for 2-4 minutes without disturbing, or until the bottom of the cubes are browning. Toss and cook until the squash is golden and crisp along the edges. Transfer with a slotted spoon to the rest of the cooked vegetables.

Add the beets to pan, oiling if necessary, season, and cook, tossing as needed to prevent scorching, to crisp and lightly color the beets, and heat through.

Add the butter if you wish and allow to cook until nutty smelling and a little brown. Add all the cooked vegetables and chicken to the pan, leaving any accumulated juices behind. Toss to coat. Season with the remaining herbs, and toss to combine. Taste to see if you need any more salt and/or pepper, and add if you do. Cook until everything is hot through, and there are crispy edges on everything. Serve piping hot. Top with one or two eggs and then béchamel if desired.

Chef’s Notes: *Maltaise is a hollandaise made with blood orange juice added in, giving the sauce a lovely color and an orangey fragrance; it also adds a bracing bit of acidity which is great with this dish. Blood oranges are in season right now. You could add other vegetable to the dish if you wish. Dice fennel or carrots and blanch and then sauté, or add potatoes or Jerusalem artichokes for a nice nutty flavor addition that will go well. Chestnuts would go well also.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen