Roasted Chicken Breasts

One of my favorite meals is a whole roasted chicken. I love the crisp skin...the absolute best part of the bird. I used to make it a lot when there were four of us at home. But with both boys away at college, roasting a whole chicken results in too much left over meat. But there is a way to get all of that great taste on a much smaller scale....with a press of my favorite button.

You can get all of the best of my favorite meal by simply buying two, bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts. The bone serves to impart great flavor to the all-white chicken meat and the skin will roast up nice and crispy, thanks to cooking at high heat (we're roasting here, not baking). And talk about easy. Slather the breasts in olive oil, then add a little salt and fresh ground pepper. Then 30 minutes in the oven and you are done.


Ingredients
2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts*
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper

*This recipe scales up or down easily. Follow the same cooking directions regardless of how many breasts you are roasting.


Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500º.
2. Rub olive oil on skin and then add salt and pepper.
3. Using a broiler pan, place chicken breasts in oven, skin-side up.
4. After 10 minutes, flip chicken breasts skin side down. Cook for 10 more minutes.
5. After the 10 minutes, flip breasts skin side up again and cook for 10 more minutes.
6. Remove from oven and tent breasts with foil for 5-10 minutes (this allows the juices to move from near the surface back into the meat). Then serve.

Wine pairing: White wine drinkers would be well served with an oaky Chardonnay. But I would opt for a silky Petite Sirah.