Chicken with Leeks, Carrots & Capers
My Aunt first turned me on to Leeks years ago when she made a soup with them while I was staying at her house. I became obsessed & started trying to figure out how many dishes I could put them in. But as time went by, I slowly stopped using them & honestly somewhat forgot what an amazing flavor they add to a dish. Recently I was reading an article in a food magazine {super nerdy thing foodies do} which was all about leeks, their origins, history & flavor. I realized I had to go get some & make something quick. I wanted to add in the carrots for a little extra nutritional value, plus it eliminates the need to make a whole other side veggie & the capers, well, capers are just yummy, so why not?
Leeks have a mild onion flavor to them but aren't as pungent as some of their strong relatives. They also grow up through the dirt so it is near impossible to get them cleaned well unless you take the layers apart. To solve this issue, I like to slice them up & put them in a large bowl of water to soak for just a few minutes, then drain them & let them air dry. Make sure they are not wet when using them in this recipe because you will end up with a watery sauce.
Chicken with Leeks, Carrots & Capers
ingredients
3 pounds chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1 bunch leeks, trimmed & chopped
16 ounce bag of mini carrots
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3-1/2 ounce jar capers
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons ghee
2 tablespoons arrowroot flour
1 tablespoon dried basil
1-1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 teaspoon pepper, divided
for the sauce:
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon lemon juice
directions
in a large baggie, or container with a lid, place the arrowroot flour, dried basil, 1 teaspoon of salt & 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. shake to combine. add in chicken & shake to completely coat in flour mixture.
heat olive oil & ghee in a large skillet. brown chicken about 4 minutes per side. transfer to a plate & keep warm.
add leeks & carrots to the pan & stir for about 4-5 minutes until they begin to brown evenly. sprinkle vegetables with remaining salt & pepper, add in garlic & capers & cook another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally
while vegetables are cooking, whisk together chicken broth, mustard & lemon juice in a small bowl
layer chicken back on top of veggies & then pour broth mixture evenly over the entire dish. cover & turn heat to low, cook 15 minutes.
let sit 5 minutes before serving.