Roasted Carrots with Chicken, Ricotta and Fried Shallots
2 thin-sliced, boneless skinless chicken breasts
½ cup mayonnaise
2 bunches carrots
1 ½ Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sriracha
Salt and pepper to taste
2 large shallots
1 cup safflower/canola/vegetable oil
1 cup fresh ricotta
2 Tbsp roasted salted pepitas
2 Tbsp honey or agave
Pinch of red pepper flakes, if you like extra heat
First, make your ricotta from scratch. If you use store-bought (unless it’s also made fresh in-house where you buy it) this meal will go from mind-blowing to meh. I would recommend doing this way ahead – at least 2 hours, but ideally the day before.
Once your ricotta is made and cooled to room temperature (or cooler) heat oven to 400. Combine chicken breasts, mayonnaise and a pinch of salt in a bowl and set aside to marinate at room temperature while you prep the rest of the meal.
Trim ends off of carrots, then cut them into pieces that are all relatively the same thickness (I usually cut the lower/thinner parts in half once, and the upper/thicker parts into quarters), and about 1 ½-2” long. Toss with olive oil and sriracha, then spread on a large sheet pan. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then roast to desired doneness (I usually do 30+ minutes because I prefer softer carrots that are nicely browned/caramelized).
While carrots cook, heat your neutral oil over medium-high in a skillet small enough that there is at least ¼” of depth to the oil and at least 1” of clearance between the top of the oil and the top of the pan. Peel shallots and slice thinly into rings, then drop one into the oil to test. It should sizzle energetically, but not violently. Add the rest of the shallot and then use tongs to move them around in the oil as they cook. You want them to brown slowly – if they pick up color within the first 30 seconds, turn your heat off and move them constantly around the pan. Fry until golden then use tongs to transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with a little bit of salt.
Heat the grill on high for 5 minutes, then transfer the chicken onto it and close the lid. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip. Cook for another 5 then check internal temp for doneness. Once fully cooked with some golden grill lines on each side, transfer to dinner plates.
Dollop half the ricotta on each plate, then top with carrots, pepitas, honey, and red pepper flakes. Eat immediately.
