Chicken Breast & Winter Veg

Blackened chicken breast with a lemon-caper beschamel sauce over sautéed yellow squash, zucchini and persimmon garnished with italian parsley. 

Ingredients

Chicken
2 chicken breasts-skin on
1 large garlic clove diced into almond sized slivers
2 Tbsp Butter
4 sprigs of thyme
Salt & pepper
1 Bottle of Pinot Grigio (Most of this will be used for drinking)

Veggies
1 zucchini-halved lengthwise and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow squash-halved lengthwise and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
2 fuyu persimmons-topped, quartered and chopped into 1/2 pieces
1 large garlic clove diced into almond sized slivers
1 sprig rosemary pulled off stem
1 tsp nutmeg grated
4 Tbsp olive oil

Beschamel
2 Tbsp Butter
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/3 cup half and half
1 lemon-zested and juiced
4 Tbsp capers

Heat frying pan to medium high heat. Season chicken breasts on both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Lift the skin up gently from breast meat and place the slivers of garlic underneath. Place 2 Tbsp of olive oil into the hot pan and immediately lay chicken in skin side down and cook until golden brown. Flip and add 2 Tbsp butter and whole thyme sprigs to pan. Once melted add a splash of the wine and baste the chicken while continuing to cook.

Meanwhile heat another skillet over medium heat. When hot, add 1Tbsp olive oil to pan and toss in zucchini, squash, persimmon, garlic cloves, rosemary and nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper and sauté for 5-10 minutes until just fork tender. Add the remaining olive oil and 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest. Combine then remove from heat and set aside.

The butter-wine mixture should now be starting to thicken up. If it starts to get dark, add another splash of wine. Flip chicken again to blacken the skin and cook for several more minutes until chicken is cooked through and skin is nice and crispy. Remove from pan and set aside.

Heat a small sauce pan on medium heat and add the last 2 Tbsp butter to pan. Once melted add the flour and cook for a few minutes while whisking constantly. Add the half and half to create a beschamel. Add the lemon juice and enough wine to create a thick, yet runny sauce. Add the capers and a bit of their liquid. Stir and salt and pepper to taste.

Assemble and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Enjoy.