Chicken Breasts with Potatoes and Mashed Peas

INGREDIENTS:

1. 2 pounds fingerling potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
2. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3. Salt and freshly ground pepper
4. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons chilled
5. Four 3/4-pound chicken breast halves on the bone
6. 2 large thyme sprigs, plus 2 teaspoons chopped thyme
7. 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons dry white wine
8. 1/2 cup chicken stock or low-sodium broth
9. Two 10-ounce packages of frozen baby peas
10. 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 425°. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the halved potatoes with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the potatoes for about 35 minutes or until tender and browned. Set the potatoes aside. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°.
2. Meanwhile, in a large ovenproof skillet, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter. Season the chicken breast halves with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin side down, along with the thyme sprigs. Cook over moderately low heat until the skin is well browned, about 15 minutes. Turn and cook for 5 minutes longer, basting occasionally with the pan juices.
3. Transfer the chicken to the oven and roast for about 15 minutes, until cooked through. Add the chicken to the potatoes and keep warm. Reserve 3 tablespoons of the melted fat from the skillet.
4. Pour off the remaining fat from the skillet and discard the thyme sprigs. Add 1/2 cup of the wine to the skillet and boil over moderately high heat, scraping up the browned bits, until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and boil until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chopped thyme and 2 tablespoons of chilled butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add the green peas, cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3 minutes. Drain the peas, transfer half to a food processor and coarsely puree. Stir the puree back into the remaining peas. Add the reserved fat from the skillet along with the remaining 2 tablespoons of wine and the mint. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Transfer the chicken breasts and potatoes to plates. Spoon the mashed peas alongside and serve with the pan sauce.

Piquant Chicken with Lemon and Capers

INGREDIENTS:

1. 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2. 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
3. 1 tablespoon olive oil
4. Salt and freshly ground pepper
5. 1/3 cup dry white wine
6. 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
7. 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8. 1 tablespoon drained capers
9. 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
10. Lemon slices, for garnish

1. Place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound to an even 1/8-inch thickness using a meat pounder.
2. In a large nonreactive skillet, melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in 1/2 tablespoon of the olive oil over moderately high heat. Lightly season the chicken with salt and pepper. When the butter stops foaming, add 2 pieces of chicken to the pan and sauté, turning once, until lightly browned and cooked through, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep warm in a low oven. Heat the remaining olive oil and another 1/2 tablespoon of the butter in the skillet and sauté the remaining chicken; keep warm. Pour off the fat from the pan.
3. Add the wine to the skillet and boil over high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, capers and half the parsley. Cut the remaining 3 tablespoons cold butter into pieces and whisk them into the sauce.
4. Transfer the chicken to warmed plates and pour the sauce on top. Sprinkle the remaining parsley on the chicken, garnish with the lemon slices and serve.

Angel Hair Pasta with Shrimp and Lemon Cream Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 3 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3/4 pound angel hair pasta (also called capellini)
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 pound raw medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup (loosely packed) chopped parsley
• 1/4 cup (loosely packed) chopped chives
• Zest of a lemon
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

METHOD:

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2 In a smaller pot, heat the cream, chicken stock and lemon juice to a low simmer. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.

3 Add the angel hair pasta to the boiling water.

4 Add the shrimp to the simmering lemon cream sauce. Stir well and add a pinch of salt and black pepper. The shrimp should cook in about the same time as the angel hair pasta, about 4 to 5 minutes.

5 When the pasta is done, drain and put it in a large bowl. Add the herbs to the simmering lemon cream sauce and let them cook for about 1 minute. Pour the shrimp and lemon sauce into the pasta bowl and mix well. Add the lemon zest and most of the parmesan and mix again. Divide into servings, and top with the remaining parmesan.

Note, if the resulting mixture seems to dry, just add a little water or cream. If it seems to wet, don't worry, the pasta will absorb the sauce.