This roasted chicken and winter greens salad, finished with a rich pan drippings vinaigrette, is a hearty yet comforting luncheon for a hungry hobbit during the winter frosts in the Shire.
Winter Comfort in the Shire
With the chill of winter blanketing the Shire and the fires and celebration of Yuletide fading, the hobbits settle into their hobbit holes and await the coming spring. After all the feasting and celebrating at Yuletide, the hobbits look forward to simpler fare as they make use of their well-stocked pantries and larders. While still enjoying their plethora of daily meals, the hobbits turn to the vegetables, fruits, and other foodstuffs preserved from the year before to create simple but nourishing dishes.
Roasted Chicken with Winter Vegetables for Luncheon
As noon approaches, the hungry hobbits are excited to sit down for a much anticipated luncheon. With winter still blanketing the Shire, they look for a warm and cozy meal that will chase away the chill as well as keep them energized for the day ahead. Succulent chicken breasts are roasted on the bone and served with a warm winter greens salad.
Warm roasted cabbage is combined with cold kale and radicchio for a delightful contrast in textures and flavour. The sweetness of the roasted cabbage balances with the bitterness of the radicchio and kale while toasted hazelnuts add a nutty crunch. The rich pan drippings are blended with shallots and malt vinegar to create an intensely flavourful and savoury pan drippings vinaigrette. This warm winter salad with roasted chicken is the perfect lunch on a cold winter day.
More Hobbit Recipes
- Recipes for first breakfast, second breakfast and elevenses.
- Enjoy more luncheon recipes from the Shire and Bree.
Ingredients
Chicken breasts: Use bone-in skin-on chicken breasts for this recipe to capture the flavour of roasted whole chicken. The chicken is dry brined with kosher salt for a minimum of 1 hour before roasting which results in extremely tender and flavourful meat.
Shallots: Lightly sauté finely diced shallots in the pan drippings before adding them to the vinaigrette.
Malt vinegar: This recipe uses malt vinegar which has a tangy, slightly sweet and nutty flavour. Apple cider vinegar or sherry wine vinegar would both make great substitutions.
Savoy cabbage: I like using savoy cabbage which holds its shape after cooking better than regular green cabbage. However, if you are unable to source savoy cabbage, you can substitute with regular cabbage instead. Take care not to overcook it if using regular cabbage.
Kale: I prefer using dinosaur (lacinato) kale in salads if possible. The dark green, bumpy leaves are more tender than other types of kale which is perfect for cold preparations such as salads.
How to Make Roasted Chicken and Winter Greens Salad
Salt the chicken
This might sound like an unnecessary step, but I encourage you to try it. In what amounts to basically a dry brine, salting ahead of time will render extremely juicy, tender, and downright flavourful chicken. Pat the chicken dry. Liberally sprinkle kosher salt all over the surface of the chicken, even on the back. Place the chicken breasts on a plate and cover. Refrigerate for a minimum of 1 hour or up to overnight.
Remove the chicken breasts from the fridge a half-hour before you intend to roast them. Remove any covering and pat the chicken dry. Allow to come up to room temperature uncovered to allow the skin to dry off.
Roast the chicken
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet or roasting pan with a rack. Generously drizzle the backs of each breast with olive oil and season with kosher salt and pepper. Repeat on the skin side with more olive oil, kosher salt, and pepper. Place the chicken skin side up on the baking sheet and roast for 35 to 40 minutes or until fully cooked. The chicken is cooked when it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F and the juices run clear when the breast is pierced.
Roast the cabbage
Cut the cabbage in half, leaving the core intact. Cut into 1 inch thick wedges and arrange the cabbage on a baking sheet. Drizzle the wedges with olive oil and season with kosher salt. Flip the wedges and season the other side. After the chicken has been roasting for 10 minutes, begin roasting the cabbage. When the cabbage begins to brown on the bottom, flip the wedges over and continue roasting until the other side browns and the cabbage is tender. Keep warm if the cabbage is done before the chicken.
Prep the salad
Peel the outer leaves of the radicchio and cut into wedges. Remove the core and roughly chop. Transfer to a salad bowl or serving platter. Remove the stalk from the kale and roughly chop the leaves. Add to the radicchio and set aside.
Make the pan drippings vinaigrette
When the chicken fully cooked, transfer the breasts to a platter and keep warm. Pour the pan drippings into a measuring cup. Place the baking sheet on the stove over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté for about one minute until they begin to soften. Add the malt vinegar to the pan and allow it to deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits stuck to the pan. Pour the vinegar along with the shallots into a small mixing bowl.
Add the Dijon mustard, kosher salt, and pepper to the vinegar mixture and whisk together. Measure the pan drippings, adding olive oil as needed to make 1/3 cup. Slowly drizzle the pan drippings into the vinegar, whisking constantly to emulsify the dressing.
Serve the Roasted Chicken and Winter Greens Salad with Pan Dripping Vinaigrette
Use a sharp knife to remove the breasts from the back bone and cut into thick slices. Remove the cores from the cabbage wedges and roughly chop into bite sized pieces. Add the warm cabbage to the radicchio and kale. Top with about half of the vinaigrette and toss until coated. Add the hazelnuts and toss to combine.
Top each plate with a serving of the salad. Arrange the chicken breast slices alongside the salad. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the chicken and enjoy!
