I know what you may be thinking. "Ew. Asparagus. My mother fed that to me as a kid and I hated it." If that is your reaction, you need to try it again. My brother-in-law had the same stigma, but after I served him oven roasted fresh asparagus he was hooked. In fact, I am posting this recipe for his fiancee and him to enjoy in their home. Enjoy, Lurch!
This dish is all in one, so you don't have to dirty extra pots and pans. The flavor is light, fragrant and succulent. And it pairs great with some chilled Riesling or a Blue Moon with an orange slice.
Ingredients:
- 3 lbs red skinned potatoes cut into quarters
- extra virgin olive oil
- coarse sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper
- 4 split chicken breasts
- 3 bunches of asparagus trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces (fresh is best)
- 1 large lemon halved, one half for juice the other sliced into wedges
- 2-3 teaspoons dried thyme
Preheat oven to 450. Place potatoes in roasting pan and toss with 1 tbs of olive oil to coat and season with sea salt and black pepper. Roast, tossing once, until the potatoes are golden, 20 - 25 minutes.
Place chicken on top of potatoes; season with 1 teaspoon thyme, sea salt and black pepper. Roast for 35 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven. Arrange asparagus, lemon & juice, remaining olive oil and thyme over chicken. Roast until asparagus is tender and chicken is opaque throughout, 20 minutes. Serve chicken, vegetables and lemon drizzled with pan juices.