Braised Chicken with Carrots and Bread
- Savory
- Comforting
Golden chicken breast and sweet carrots simmered in a light pan sauce, with toasted bread to soak up every drop. A comforting one-pan dinner that stays juicy and tender.
- Total
- 35 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 25
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Searing · Deglazing
Instructions
-
Pat the chicken breast dry with paper towels and season both sides with 0.25 tsp of the salt and the black pepper. Peel the carrots and cut them into 1.5 cm thick coins.
~6 min
Drying the surface lets the chicken sear rather than steam, so it browns faster and develops a deeper flavor.
-
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in the large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lay the chicken breast in the pan and sear undisturbed for 4 minutes, until the underside is golden. Turn and sear 2 minutes more, then transfer to a plate.
~6 min
Searing undisturbed builds Maillard browning, and leaving the chicken alone lets it release cleanly instead of tearing.
Searing Get the pan hot until the oil shimmers, then leave the chicken untouched so a golden crust forms; moving it too soon prevents browning.
-
Add the carrots to the same pan and cook for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they take on a little color at the edges.
~4 min
Cooking the carrots in the chicken's rendered fat and browned bits coats them in flavor and starts caramelizing their sugars.
-
Pour in 150 ml water and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pan, cover, and simmer gently for 10 minutes, until the carrots are tender and the chicken reaches 74°C/165°F at its thickest point.
~10 min
The water deglazes the pan, dissolving the browned bits into the sauce, while gentle covered simmering cooks the chicken through without drying it.
Searing the chicken only until golden and finishing it covered keeps the breast juicy; the 74°C/165°F reading is the real doneness cue, not the clock.
Deglazing Pour in the water and scrape the browned bits as it sizzles; those stuck-on bits dissolve into the sauce and carry deep flavor.
-
While step 4 cooks
While the chicken simmers, tear the bread into rough 3 cm pieces. Toast the pieces in a dry skillet over medium heat for 4 minutes, turning once, until crisp and lightly golden.
~4 min
Toasting drives off moisture and creates a crisp crust, so the bread soaks up sauce without turning soggy.
Tearing the bread rather than slicing it gives craggy edges that grip the sauce better when you mop up the pan.
-
Uncover the pan and simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce reduces and coats the carrots. Stir in the remaining 0.25 tsp salt, taste, and adjust. Serve the chicken and carrots with the pan sauce spooned over and the toasted bread alongside.
~3 min
Uncovering lets steam escape so the sauce concentrates and thickens enough to cling to the carrots.
