Pan Roasted Chicken Breast with Pecan and Potato Hash and Spicy Brown Butter Sauce ..

Ingredients

3 Yukon gold potatoes, diced
4 to 5 tablespoons canola oil, divided
4 boneless chicken breasts with skin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound sliced bacon, pancetta, salami or ham, chopped
1 medium-sized red onion, diced small
1/4 cup toasted and chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme leaves
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley leaves
1/4 cup chicken stock
4 sticks unsalted butter, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and thinly sliced

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium heat. Add the potatoes and cook until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large oven-proof skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over medium heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, to taste, and put, skin side down, into the hot oil. (You want to render the chicken skin and get it nice and crispy.) Cook until the skin is crisped, about 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer the pan to the oven until the chicken is firm to the touch, about 10 minutes. Do not turn the chicken over!

While the chicken is cooking, heat a large saute pan or cast iron pan over medium heat. Add enough canola oil to coat the bottom of the pan and then add the bacon. Cook until well rendered and then add the red onion. Continue to cook until the onion is a deep brown. Add the cooked potatoes and the pecans. Deglaze with sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cook another 5 minutes and then stir in thyme and parsley.

Remove the skillet from the oven, transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest. In the same pan over medium heat, add the chicken stock to deglaze and scrape the leftover brown bits from the bottom. Simmer until the liquid is evaporated, then add the butter and jalapenos. Cook until the butter is a deep dark brown, then immediately remove it from the heat. Spoon some of the hash onto each serving plate. Slice the chicken and arrange it over the hash. Drizzle with the butter sauce and enjoy.
Cook's Note:

I love simply roasted meats and I love the idea of a hash because it can basically be composed of whatever veggies or cured meats you have around. The spicy brown butter gives the whole thing a smooth spicy bite without a greasy texture.