Pan Roasted Chicken with Artichokes, Potato and Bacon

I went to Trader Joes the other day with a friend and bought a big container of baby artichokes. They grow em out here so we get lucky sometimes and can find baby ones in the markets. I wandered online looking for stuff to make and I ended up making this one .......It came out really good.

Pan Roasted Chicken with Artichokes, Potato and Bacon

• 6 large chicken breasts with skin (Organic or Free range)
• 18 Baby Artichokes
• 1 Large Onion sliced
• 2 Lemons
• 1 bunch of Thyme
• 1½ cups White Wine
• 1 Bay leaf
• 1/3 lb slab Bacon diced and rendered
• 18 Baby Yukon Gold Potatoes Boiled in salty water till cooked through
• 1 ½ cup Home Made Chicken Stock
• 3 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
• 3 Tbsp chopped Parsley
• 1 Tbsp all purpose Flour
• Olive Oil

Fill a large pot a little more than halfway with water. Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into the water; also place the lemon into the water. Then add the onion, wine, half of the thyme and the bay leaf.

Cut a ½ inch off the tops of all the artichokes, and then cut a 1/16 inch off the bottom of the stem of each. Place in the pot and simmer for about 30-40 minutes. At 20 minutes check them by slicing one, the knife should glide through like a cooked potato. Use this to judge how much longer they need. Once done shock in an ice bath.

Peel the outer leaves off each artichoke until you get to the tender ones and then trim1/16 of an inch off the stem and middle all the way around each artichoke. Finally cut each one in ¼s ( you may sub store bought grilled or marinated artichokes to skip these steps but please don’t use canned ones)

In a large pre heated pan add a little oil and place each breast skin slide down. Allow to cook on top off the range for 4 minutes at a med high heat, then place in a 400°F oven and cook for about 15-18 minutes.

While the chicken is cooking, pre-heat another pan at med-high heat. Add 2Tbs of olive oil and 2Tbs of butter then add potatoes 1 by 1, crushing each in your hand before placing in the pan. Finish by adding the artichokes and bacon. Cook on top of the range for 5 minutes stirring every now and then. Place the pan in the oven for 25 minutes, stir every now and then.

When the Chicken is ready, remove from pan and set aside under tin foil. Place pan on the range at med-low heat then add 1Tbs of AP flour and stir into pan juices when incorporated add chicken stock and thyme. Reduce by ½ and set aside. Place potatoes in middle back of plate, then place breast in front and add sauce (always nice with haricot verts).
Serves: 6

***I added a bit of garlic powder to the potatoes when I cooked them, I added thyme then too. I only had boneless , skinless chicken tenders on hand so I used them. I think it really does need the chicken with skin on it because this was dry. I added stock and thickened it like it said but the whole thing got sucked up by the chicken and veggies. I also cooked the potatoes in the broth made by the artichokes to save time.