I May Not Be A Spring Chicken But...
This recipe appeared in the Berkshire Eagle before Passover (hence the flour in the recipe; click here for the link), but I got so wrapped up with Passover prep and enjoying family over the weekend, I totally forget to post it to my blog until this very moment!
It’s still pretty cold here in the Berkshires, but in an effort to feel like it’s spring we have been making asparagus with some frequency – and we always serve it for Passover. But it’s not going to feel like spring for real until I can forage for ramps, which will be soon, I hope!
SPRING CHICKEN
by Elizabeth Baer
It seems somewhat surreal to say we are coming out of our second pandemic winter. A few years ago, I could not have even dreamt up such a sentence. But here we are, and while we are hopeful the situation will continue to improve, life has felt long and arduous over these past two years.
I think, perhaps, this is why I am so ready, eager, in fact, for spring to arrive this year. Although it is technically spring because we are past the vernal equinox, the weather in the Berkshires is always a bit of a tease in April and May. A couple years ago I remember we had some overnight snow on Mother’s Day weekend!
Normally I tend to appreciate the cycle of the seasons, and the events and activities associated with each time of the year. However, this year I am ready to be done with chilly breezes and gray skies, and so I’ve been drawn to recipes that highlight the produce of the season and make me feel like the flowers are ready to bloom.
There is a beloved Roman recipe called vignarola, a lovely plate of vegetables, bright green and radiating spring vibes. Traditionally it combines fava beans, peas, and artichokes, and I’ve used vignarola as inspiration for this chicken dish with white wine, lemon, and a touch of cream.
The flexibility in this recipe comes with the vegetables. Basically, any combination of spring vegetables will work, such as peas, asparagus cut into bite-sized pieces, or any number of other ideas. Mostly you want to make sure the combination of chopped or shucked vegetables equals about 1½ cups. If they are in season, I like to include favas which I include in the suggestions below, but they are also quite a bit more work than many people want, as you need to remove the beans from the pods, and then peel each individual bean. (Blanching the shucked beans in boiling water for a minute and then shocking them in ice water can make this easier, but it’s still a bit of extra work. You can sometimes find shucked fava beans in the frozen food aisle, usually with the Latin foods, but still they need to be peeled.)
Enjoy this bright sunny dish, and let’s look ahead to bright sunny days soon!
CHICKEN CUTLETS WITH SPRING VEGETABLES
Serves 2-4
INGREDIENTS:
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon plus 1 pinch kosher salt
⅛ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally, and lightly pounded to an even thickness, about ¼-½ inch thick
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 spring onions or scallions, white and light green parts chopped, about 2 tablespoons
½ cup dry white wine
1½ teaspoons lemon zest (about ½ lemon)
2 tablespoons lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
1½ cups mixed spring vegetables, such as peas (frozen is fine), asparagus (trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces), fava beans (shucked and peeled)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine the flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and pepper in a shallow baking dish. Lightly dredge the chicken cutlets on both sides and place on a plate. (You may not use all the flour.)
In a large, oven-safe sauté pan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the spring onions and the remaining pinch of salt and stir briefly. Place the dredged cutlets in the pan in a single layer and allow to cook for about 3 minutes on each side. Remove to a plate.
Deglaze the pan with the white wine, then add the lemon zest and juice. Add the vegetables, then nestle the cutlets among them. Place the pan in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes until the cutlets are cooked through.
Remove the pan from the oven and keep an oven mitt or potholder one the handle to remind you that it is hot. Place the cutlets onto a serving plate and add the cream to the vegetable mixture left in the pan. If there is too much liquid, turn the burner on under the pan and allow to reduce to desired consistency. Pour the sauce and vegetables over the cutlets and serve.