Episode 303: Happy Holidays: Benjamin's Crispy Stuffing, Roasted Chicken, Dijon Sauce, and Caramel Cranberries

Challenge: Happy Holidays

Dish: Benjamin's Crispy Stuffing, Roasted Chicken, Dijon Sauce, and Caramel Cranberries

Ingredients:

½ lb sourdough, small dice
½ lb corn bread, small dice
½ brioche, small dice
½ cup celery, brunoise
1 cup onion, brunoise
2 cups mixed mushrooms, chopped fine
3 leaves fresh sage, chopped
½ tsp dried sage
3 sprigs fresh thyme, remove leaves
3 eggs, beaten
1 lemon, zested
2 cups chicken stock, warm
¼ lb cranberries
¼ cup cane sugar
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 tbsp shallot, fine dice
2 cups chicken stock
½ cup white wine
2 tbsp toasted roux
1 tbsp Dijon
2 tbsp crème fraiche
3 ea chicken breasts, skin on, patted dry
2 tbsp shallot, fine dice
1 sprig thyme

Directions:
Preheat over to 400F, put cupcake tin in oven first. Toast all breads separately, sweat celery & onion together. Salt & pepper. No color, tender.

Sauté mushrooms. When tender, add a knob of butter & toast to brown. Add to celery mix, sauté & deglaze with white wine.

Cook booze. Add herbs to cook through.

Toss bread, veg, eggs, lemon zest. Wet with chicken stock thoroughly. Adjust seasoning.

Brush hot muffin tin with melted butter & drop stuffing base in. Cook at 400F until crispy outside & soft inside.

Caramelize sugars together until melted & bubbly. Add shallot & cranberries. Stir & cover to cook down until raw taste is cooked off. Adjust seasoning with sugar and pepper.

Boil chicken stock with wine, whisk in roux. Season with Dijon, crème fraiche, salt, and pepper.

Heat a cast iron pan on high, add grape seed oil & sear seasoned breast, skin side down, until very caramelized. Add in a sprig of thyme and shallot & baste the breasts. Throw in a 400F oven. Cook 8 minutes. Remove from oven.

Tent with foil, nest on a bed of herbs.