Grainy Mustard Dressed Chicken and Roasted Potato Wilted Spinach Salad
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds red boiling potatoes, small ones cut in half, large ones cut into quarters
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), plus some for drizzling
- Salt and pepper
- 2 strips of bacon, chopped
- 1 1/2 pounds chicken cutlets
- 6 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
- 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 large clove garlic, chopped
- 4 ribs celery, thinly sliced
- 2 pound spinach leaves
- 2 cups chicken stock (eyeball it)
- 2 tablespoons grainy mustard (eyeball it)
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (eyeball it)
- Crusty bread to serve at the table
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 475°F.
Place the potatoes on a baking sheet, drizzle liberally with EVOO and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat, making sure that all the potatoes have been coated in the EVOO, adding more if necessary. Shake the baking sheet to settle the potatoes in an even layer. Transfer to the hot oven and roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and brown. About 10 minutes through the roasting time, using a metal spatula or spoon, stir the potatoes up and then continue to roast.
Once you have the potatoes going, place a large skillet over medium-high heat with one turn of the pan of EVOO. Add the bacon and cook until almost crisp, about 2 minutes. While the bacon gets going, cut the chicken into thin strips. Season with salt and pepper and add to the crispy bacon in the skillet. Spread the chicken out in an even layer and sprinkle with the thyme. Let the chicken brown for about 4-5 minutes without messing with it. Give the meat a stir and add the onion, garlic and celery, then stir to combine and continue to cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the celery and onion start to get tender.
While the veggies and chicken are cooking, tear the thick stems and veins from the spinach leaves and transfer the leaves to a large salad bowl.
To the skillet with the chicken, bacon and veggies, add the chicken stock, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add the grainy mustard and stir to combine, then bring up to a bubble and simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until there is only about 1/4 cup of liquid left in the skillet. Add the white wine vinegar and turn the heat off. Add the roasted potatoes to the spinach in the salad bowl, then add the contents of the skillet and toss everything all together with the spinach. The heat from the chicken and potatoes will wilt the spinach. Serve alongside some crusty bread.
