Sunday Dinner - part 6

The good news: We made it to the dining room this week.
The bad news: Nobody but me was thrilled about the dish. Big Daddy is a very picky eater, and I should have known better. In my defense, he's branched out the past few years, I thought I could get him to be more adventurous. But I went too far, cream sauce AND sweet potatoes were too much for him. I will tell you - I thought that this dish was good. If you like creamy sauces and the other ingredients, try it. I soaked the chicken in the brine overnight and I really liked it, and would consider doing that again and modifying the dish without the cream sauce, more of an olive oil oven roasted chicken. I got the recipe from here. It's from Jamie Oliver. You know it has to be good.

Tray-Baked Chicken
Marinate the chicken in brine for at least two hours (overnight is best). It will become outrageously soft and juicy.

Servings: 8

For the brine:
1 quart water
2 Tbsp kosher salt
1/3 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, crushed
2 sprigs fresh sage, leaves only
1/4 cup apple-cider vinegar
Juice and zest of
1 lemon

For the bake:
4 chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
2 slices smoked bacon, finely chopped
3 sweet potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
4 medium potatoes, scrubbed and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 sprigs fresh sage, leaves shredded
Olive oil
Sea salt and fresh black pepper
1²/³ cups chicken broth, preferably organic
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
A few pats of butter

Directions:
1. Mix brine in a large bowl; add chicken. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 2 to 8 hours.

2. Remove chicken; let come to room temperature. Drain chicken, discarding brine, and pat dry with paper towels.

3. Preheat oven to 350°F. In a roasting pan, toss the bacon, veggies, garlic, and sage with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pour in broth. Cook 30 minutes.

4. Remove veggie pan from oven; pour in cream and sprinkle with pepper and Parmesan. Add chicken, dotting pats of butter on each piece. Cook 35 minutes, or until chicken is golden.