Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast and Frothed Parmesan

I’ve never made a foam before and was dying to see what all the fuss was about. Top Chef has someone making a foam in every episode it seems and I had seen Michael Symon make this recipe on Cook Like an Iron Chef which seemed pretty easy so I gave it a shot. If you’ve never had a froth it’s a really light taste to the dish instead of a heavy sauce. We ended up bringing the pot of froth to the table and dipping each bite of chicken in it because it had good flavor just wasn’t as strong as dunking a bite of chicken in there. : )

Pan-Roasted Chicken Breast and Frothed Parmesan
(Adapted from Michael Symon)

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Pan-roasted chicken
2 airline cut chicken breasts, skin on
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons blended oil
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/4 cup unsalted butter

Parm Froth
2 cups homemade Chicken Stock, recipe follows, or water, plus more as needed
2 rinds Parmigianino-Reggiano cheese
Sprig fresh rosemary
Bay leaf
1 tablespoon slivered garlic
1 tablespoon slivered shallots
Kosher salt
Juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons grated Parmigianino-Reggiano cheese

Chicken Stock
2 pounds chicken backs and necks
2 pounds chicken feet, or additional backs and necks
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon black peppercorns

For the pan-roasted chicken:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season 2 airline chicken breasts (skin on) on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pat dry the chicken with paper towels.

Add the blended oil to the pan and heat. Once heated, add the chicken skin-side down into the hot pan and sear until golden brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cook's Note: If the meat sticks it is not ready to flip.

Flip and add a couple sprigs fresh rosemary, thyme, and unsalted butter. Allow the butter to melt and baste the chicken with the melted butter. Place the pan into the preheated oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through, 160 degrees F.

For the Parm froth:
To a small saucepan, add 2 cups chicken stock, 2 rinds Parmesan cheese, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, bay leaf, sliced garlic, sliced shallots, pinch salt, and taste for seasoning. Re-season if needed and allow to boil.

Just prior to straining add the lemon juice.

Place a wire mesh strainer over a medium bowl. Strain and press the sauce through the sieve.

Place the egg yolks into another medium bowl and temper the egg yolks whisking in a small amount of the heated lemon-chicken stock and then whisk the egg mixture back into the bowl with the remaining lemon-chicken stock.

Place the egg-lemon stock mixture back into the same saucepan off the heat. Place over low heat, but do not allow to come to a boil. The eggs could scrambled.

Taste and season the sauce, if needed. Add 2 tablespoons Parm cheese and whisk to combine.

Just before serving, use an immersion blender to froth the sauce.

Remove the chicken from the oven and set aside to rest. Remove the extra herbs and discard, reserving the fat. Place the fat over the medium-high heat and add the morels and season with salt. When ready, flip the mushrooms and add the ramps. Toss to combine. Carefully pour off some of the excess fat, if necessary. Deglaze the pan with a little bit of chicken stock, about 1/2 cup. Reduce the heat.

For serving:
Slice the chicken on the bias or diagonal and place the slices onto a plate. Top with the frothed sauce. Season with sea salt.

To make chicken broth: Rinse the chicken parts thoroughly. In a 10-quart stockpot, combine the onion, carrot, garlic, thyme, salt, bay leaf, peppercorns, and 1 gallon cold water. Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat, skimming and discarding any foam and impurities that rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and simmer 5 hours, skimming the surface as necessary. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding the solids.