Recipe: Chicken Breasts with Coffee

Name: Chicken Breasts with Coffee
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 4 farm chicken breasts with skin; 1.1 qt (1 liter) prepared poultry stock; 10.5 oz (300 g) parsnip; 1.1 oz (30 g) crushed and roasted hazelnuts; 2 tablespoons liquid honey; 2 tablespoons roasted and crushed arabica coffee beans; 1 knob of salted butter

By chef patrick Asfaux 5/5 (1 review)

Recipe Chicken Breasts with Coffee - Chef Patrick Asfaux — Photo: Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 15 min

Cook 25 min

Total 40 min

Servings 4 serv.

Farm chicken breast seared with roasted coffee and honey, served with a parsnip purée. Cooked 8 minutes in simmering water, then finished in the oven at 200 °C with caramelized skin. Crushed arabica beans bring a light bitterness that balances the honey's sweetness. Parsnip cooked separately for 20 minutes, blended with salted butter and roasted hazelnuts.

Ingredients for 4 servings

Adjust for

servings

4 farm chicken breasts with skin
1.1 qt (1 liter) prepared poultry stock
10.5 oz (300 g) parsnip
1.1 oz (30 g) crushed and roasted hazelnuts
2 tablespoons liquid honey
2 tablespoons roasted and crushed arabica coffee beans
1 knob of salted butter

Step-by-step directions

1 In a casserole, place your chicken breasts, then cover them cold with the poultry stock. Bring to a boil, cook for eight minutes, skimming off impurities as they rise, then drain and transfer to an oven-safe dish.

2 Peel your parsnips, cut them into large chunks in a saucepan and cover with the poultry stock from cooking the breasts, cook slowly for 20 minutes.

3 Preheat your oven to 390°F (200 °C) (th 6/7).

4 In a bowl, mix honey and roasted coffee, using a spoon, spread this mixture over the skin of the four chicken breasts then place in the oven, basting from time to time until the skin is caramelized. Deglaze the bottom of the dish with a little poultry stock.

5 Drain the parsnip pieces and blend them with the butter and salt, season to taste, then mix gently with a spatula with 2/3 of the crushed hazelnuts. Let your chicken breasts rest for a moment, then cut them into four thick escalopes, plate on nice dishes with the smooth parsnip purée on one side topped with a few hazelnuts and on the other side the chicken escalopes with a little concentrated jus around. The mixed flavors of roasted coffee and the sweetness of parsnip make this recipe unique. P.S.: whatever you do, don't throw away the remaining broth with a few cooked macaroni in it, it makes a lovely soup.

A chef's advice

This is a dish that works well in autumn and winter, when parsnip comes to the market and roasted dishes are making their comeback. You can serve it as a weeknight meal since the preparation takes about an hour if you organize your steps well: breasts in the casserole first, parsnip in a separate pan, oven preheating during this time.

Parsnip is a sweet root, almost creamy when blended with butter. You'll find it from October to March at a good produce vendor. If your market doesn't have it, ask your supplier, it's less rare than you'd think. Store-bought roasted hazelnuts are perfect, no need to toast them yourself.

For wine pairings, choose a dry white with some substance: a Meursault, a Côtes du Jura white, or simply a good Chablis. The coffee's bitterness works well with present acidity. A light red Beaujolais village is also just right if you prefer red. Avoid thin whites and full-bodied reds.

For side dishes, the cooking broth left from the chicken breasts makes a lovely soup with a few cooked macaroni in it, as the recipe mentions. You can also serve small roasted root vegetables alongside the escalopes, carrots, beets, turnips. Nothing complicated, just good sense.

Frequently asked questions

Can I substitute celery root with another root vegetable?

Yes, parsnip root works, slightly more bitter. Or parsnip, a touch sweeter. Cut into large dice, same 20-minute simmer. Skip regular carrots, too sweet against the honey and coffee.

How do I prevent pale skin on the chicken despite the honey-coffee glaze?

Key point: confirm your oven hits 200°C before roasting. Baste every 3-4 minutes with pan juices. If browning stalls after 15 minutes, crank to 220°C. Never cover the breasts in the oven, the skin needs air exposure.

Can I prepare this the day before and reheat it?

Yes, do everything except the oven glaze. Keep poached breasts chilled, celery purée separate. Next day, warm 8 minutes at 180°C, apply the honey-coffee glaze, finish at 200°C as planned. Breasts stay tender.