Richard Blais lost 80 lbs with healthy meals like this spatchcock chicken with grilled carrots + tomato-celery salad.
- 1 chicken, spatchcocked by your butcher
- 1 tablespoon crushed fennel seed
- 1 tablespoon dried oregano
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
- ½ tablespoon garlic powder
- ½ tablespoon dried onion flakes
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons clarified butter
- 1 bunch carrots with leafy tops
- Salt
- Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
- 1 tablespoon raisins, reconstituted
- 1 clove garlic
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon
- ¼ cup blanched carrot tops
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño
- 2 tablespoons capers
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ lemon, juiced
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup avocado mayo
- ½ cup plain kefir (no added sugar)
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon minced sundried tomato
- ¼ cup roasted chicken drippings
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1 teaspoon dried chives
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- ½ teaspoon teaspoon black pepper
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 cup sliced celery, plus leaves for garnish
- 1 cup rinsed garbanzo beans
- 1 cup toasted walnut halves
- ½ cup blue cheese crumbles, optional
- ¼ cup torn fresh basil leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning
- 3 tablspoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fruit vinegar, such as fig, pomegranate or red wine
For the chicken, preheat oven to 375˚F. Pat dry chicken with a towel. Combine spices, salt and pepper, and liberally season chicken on both sides.
Heat clarified butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high. Sear the chicken, skin-side down, until golden brown, around 5 minutes, then flip the chicken and transfer pan into the oven until chicken is done, 25 to 35 minutes. Reserve pan drippings for use in the ranch dressing.
For the carrots, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Prepare an iced water bath.
Trim the carrot tops, reserving 1 cup leaves for the salsa verde. Peel the carrots and cut into 2-inch pieces.
Preheat a grill pan over high heat. In the pot of boiling water, blanch carrot tops for 2 minutes and immediately shock in iced water bath. Add the carrots to the boiling water and cook until almost cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes, and remove. Toss the carrots in olive oil and then grill until charred and completely cooked through.
For the salsa verde, in a food processor fitted with a blade attachment, add the anchovies, raisins and garlic first, then the herbs, jalapeños, capers, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Pulse and process until chunky, then toss with the grilled carrots.
For the roasted chicken ranch dressing, rinse out the food processor, then add all the ingredients. Pulse and process until combined.
For the salad, toss all ingredients together. Top with the dressing.
