Spinach and sage roasted chicken

The Goods:

Roasted Chicken

1 large skin on chicken breast

1 tbsp fresh sage

2 handfuls fresh spinach

1 shallot

1 splash white wine

2 tbsp butter

1 tbsp flour

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup water

olive oil

Israeli Couscous

1 cup Israeli couscous*

2 cup water

1 tbsp sage

1 tsp lemon juice

1 small leek

1 tsp fresh parsley

1 clove garlic

Preheat the oven to 450 F. Add the butter to a small saucepan. Heat on medium-low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the butter browns. Pour most of the brown butter into a small bowl, keep the remainder (1/4 or so of the total) in the saucepan. Trim the green portion from the leek. Slice the remainder in half lengthwise, then in ~1 cm slices. Finely mince the garlic. Finely mince the sage and parsley. Place the saucepan with the remaining brown butter on medium-low heat. Add the leeks. Cook until they're translucent, about 5 minutes or so. Add the 1 tablespoon sage, parsley, and garlic. Cook for 1-2 more minutes. Add the couscous, water, and lemon juice. Cover. When the pot reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to low and cook until the water has been fully absorbed.

Spritz some olive oil on the chicken breast and season it with ground black pepper and kosher salt. Spritz some olive oil in a heavy-bottomed, oven-proof skillet and set on medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the breast skin-side down. After three minutes, flip the breast over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes**. Finely mince the shallot. Wash and dry the spinach leaves. Add the flour to the set aside brown butter to make a paste.

When the chicken is cooked, remove the pan from the oven and place on the stove top. Place the chicken in a plate and cover with tin foil until ready to serve. Place the skillet on medium-low heat and add the minced shallots. When the shallots have turned translucent, about 2-3 minutes, add the tablespoon of sage and spinach leaves. Continue cooking until the spinach wilts. Deglaze the pan with a splash of white wine. Add the water and lemon juice. When the mixture begins to simmer, fold in the brown butter/flour paste to thicken the sauce. Split the chicken breast in half. Serve with couscous, covered in spinach/sage sauce.

*Or, more politically correct, as the local WF plays it, "Middle Eastern Couscous."

**I've long been experimenting with different oven temperatures and baking times when making roasted chicken breast. This one gave fine results, with a rather large breast that was just, just, just rare in the very center.