Chicken Breasts with Crispy Bread Salad

Roasted chicken breasts served with a savory and slightly sweet radicchio salad topped with crispy bread and Castelvetrano olives. Perfect for a hearty dinner.

Cook time: 45 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 pounds chicken breasts large bone-in, skin-on
• 2.5 teaspoons salt Kosher
• 0 black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces radicchio
• 2 ounces Piave cheese
• 1 cup Castelvetrano olives
• 3 ounces baguette
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tablespoons butter unsalted
• 3 anchovy fillets
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 0 salt to taste
• 0 black pepper to taste
• 0 honey for drizzling

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F.
2. Pat the chicken dry and season it evenly all over with 2½ teaspoons salt and lots of black pepper.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Place the chicken breasts skin-side down in the skillet and reduce the heat to medium. Cook, undisturbed, until the skin is golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Move the breasts around the pan if the chicken seems to be browning more quickly in some parts than others.
4. Transfer the skillet to the oven (skin-side down). Roast until an instant-read thermometer registers 145°F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast, 25 to 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, tear 1 medium radicchio head into large pieces and transfer to a large bowl. Using a vegetable peeler, shave 2 ounces Piave cheese right into the radicchio. Smash 1 cup Castelvetrano olives with the bottom of a mug or glass measuring cup. Discard the pits and add the olives to the salad. Tear ¼ of a baguette into irregular 1-inch pieces. Set aside.
6. Smash 3 garlic cloves but don't peel them. When the chicken is done, remove the skillet from the oven and transfer it to the stovetop. Keep the oven on. Flip the chicken breasts skin-side up. Add 3 tablespoons butter, the garlic, and 3 anchovy fillets to the skillet and set over medium heat. Tilt the pan slightly toward you, let the melted butter collect at the side of the pan, and, using a large spoon, continuously baste the chicken breasts with the butter for 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest, leaving the anchovy-garlic butter behind.
7. Add the torn bread to the butter and stir the pieces around to coat. Return the skillet to the oven and bake until the croutons are crisp and golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.
8. Add the croutons and garlic to the bowl of salad. Drizzle 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar and 3 tablespoons olive oil over the radicchio; toss well. Season with salt and black pepper. Lightly drizzle the salad with honey, tossing once to create pockets of sweetness.
9. Carve the chicken breasts off the bone, slice them crosswise, and serve with the salad.