Pan Roasted Chicken with Rhubarb

 4 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves, patted dry (about 1 1/2 lbs)

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

All-purpose flour, for dusting

3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cups thinly sliced onions (from 1 large onion or 2 small)

2 Tbsp minced garlic (from 4 to 5 cloves)

4 tsp peeled minced ginger (from 2 inch piece)

 1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground turmeric

2 tsp sugar

3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

8 oz rhubarb, halved if thick, cut into 2 inch pieces

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus leaves for serving

Cooked rice or flatbread, for serving

 

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Season chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour, tapping off excess.  Heat a large oven proof skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium-high heat.  Swirl in 2 Tbsp oil.  Place chicken in skillet, skinned side down and cook until browned and easily releases from pan, about 4 minutes; flip and brown second side, about 2 minutes.  Transfer to a plate. 

2.  Reduce heat to medium.  Add remaining 1 Tbsp oil, onion, garlic, and ginger to pan.  Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes.  Add cumin, turmeric, and sugar and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.  Stir in broth and rhubarb and bring to a boil on top of stove.  

3.  Nestle chicken back into pan.  Transfer to oven and roast until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.  If rhubarb is still underdone, remove chicken to a plate, tent with foil and return pan to oven until rhubarb is just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.  (Be careful, it's easy to overcook rhubarb and you don't want it to completely fall apart.)  Stir in cilantro, then return chicken to pan, turning to coat in sauce.  Serve chicken and sauce over rice or with flatbread, sprinkled with more cilantro.

Serves 4

Recipe: from Martha Stewart