Blue Pumpkin, Chervil, Tarragon, Chives and Parsley

Pumpkin Salad with Roast Chicken and Fines Hèrbes

NOTES

Perfect way to use those decorative pumpkins and squash on your front porch. You can use any winter squash in place of blue pumpkin – kabocha would be the closest in texture and flavor. I used 1/4 of my pumpkin, so if you are working with a large squash, note that you will only use a portion of it for this salad.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start with the chicken:

Preheat the oven to 500°F with rack in upper third, or set to broil.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp harissa (optional), then transfer to a bowl. Pat the chicken breasts dry and add to the bowl, coat with the garlic mixture. Generously crack black pepper on top, turning the breast over to make sure you cover both sides with the seasoning. Place in a foil-lined large shallow baking dish, and sprinkle 1/2 tsp brown sugar on top.

Roast for 10 minutes, skin side up, in the upper portion of the oven to brown the skin. When browned, move to the lower third of the oven and continue to cook for 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. Slice into the breast to check the doneness, the meat should no longer be pink; or, use a meat thermometer to confirm the chicken is heated through to 165 degrees F. Let sit on the countertop to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2″ thick pieces. You should have 4-6 pieces.

Then, the squash:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Add large baking sheet to the oven to heat up.

Cut the squash in half from the stem to the navel. Using a large metal spoon, scoop out the stringy interior and the seeds. Slice squash into 2″ half moon slices. You should have about 6 slices.

In a mixing bowl, add 1 tsp sweet paprika, 4 tbs olive oil and a squeeze of half a lemon. Stir to combine, add squash slices and toss in the oil mixture until they are evenly coated. Sprinkle with 1 tsp Maldon Salt, cracked pepper and 1 tsp brown sugar.

Place half moon squash pieces on the sheet, flat side down. Add to the squash to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven when a knife slips easily through the flesh and the tops of the squash is caramelized. If you want to achieve a more golden surface, broil the squash at the last minute quickly, but keep a eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Remove from oven.

Remove parsley, tarragon and chervil leaves from stems. Chop all your herbs finely (including the chives). In a small dish, combine honey and vinegar, and whisk to dissolve the honey. Add olive oil in a slow stream and whisk to emulsify.

On a large platter, arrange squash and chicken slices and sprinkle sumac over the chicken. Drizzle dressing over the whole dish and toss your herbs on top. Serve.

 

RECIPE

DIFFICULTY

HARD

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SERVES

4

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PREP TIME

60 MINS

Chicken

  • 2  
    lb 
    skin-on boneless chicken breasts
  • tbs 
    olive oil
  • 1-2 
    clove 
    garlic
  • tsp  
    harissa
  • tsp 
    sea salt
  • tsp 
    brown sugar
  •  
     
    cracked black pepper
  • tsp 
    ground sumac for garnish

Pumpkin

  • small  
    blue pumpkin or Kabocha Squash
  • 1/2 
     
    lemon
  • tbs 
    olive oil
  • tsp 
    paprika
  • tsp 
    brown sugar
  • tsp 
    Maldon Salt

Vinaigrette

  • tsp 
    red wine vinegar
  • tsp 
    Sherry vinegar
  • tsp 
    honey
  • tbs 
    olive oil
  • tbs 
    chervil, finely chopped
  • tbs 
    flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
  • tbs 
    tarragon, finely chopped
  • tbs 
    chives, finely chopped

INSTRUCTIONS

Start with the chicken:

Preheat the oven to 500°F with rack in upper third, or set to broil.

Mince and mash garlic to a paste with 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp harissa (optional), then transfer to a bowl. Pat the chicken breasts dry and add to the bowl, coat with the garlic mixture. Generously crack black pepper on top, turning the breast over to make sure you cover both sides with the seasoning. Place in a foil-lined large shallow baking dish, and sprinkle 1/2 tsp brown sugar on top.

Roast for 10 minutes, skin side up, in the upper portion of the oven to brown the skin. When browned, move to the lower third of the oven and continue to cook for 10 – 15 minutes.

Remove from oven. Slice into the breast to check the doneness, the meat should no longer be pink; or, use a meat thermometer to confirm the chicken is heated through to 165 degrees F. Let sit on the countertop to cool for 10 minutes before slicing into 1/2″ thick pieces. You should have 4-6 pieces.

Then, the squash:

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Add large baking sheet to the oven to heat up.

Cut the squash in half from the stem to the navel. Using a large metal spoon, scoop out the stringy interior and the seeds. Slice squash into 2″ half moon slices. You should have about 6 slices.

In a mixing bowl, add 1 tsp sweet paprika, 4 tbs olive oil and a squeeze of half a lemon. Stir to combine, add squash slices and toss in the oil mixture until they are evenly coated. Sprinkle with 1 tsp Maldon Salt, cracked pepper and 1 tsp brown sugar.

Place half moon squash pieces on the sheet, flat side down. Add to the squash to the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven when a knife slips easily through the flesh and the tops of the squash is caramelized. If you want to achieve a more golden surface, broil the squash at the last minute quickly, but keep a eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Remove from oven.

Remove parsley, tarragon and chervil leaves from stems. Chop all your herbs finely (including the chives). In a small dish, combine honey and vinegar, and whisk to dissolve the honey. Add olive oil in a slow stream and whisk to emulsify.

On a large platter, arrange squash and chicken slices and sprinkle sumac over the chicken. Drizzle dressing over the whole dish and toss your herbs on top. Serve.

 

Apparently in France, chervil grows rampant, sprouting up all along the side of the road. In my world, chervil is a delicate lacy green herb that I cultivate in abundance, but treat like green gold. I use it as garnish, mixed in with microgreens and scatter atop roasted vegetables and soups. It is delicate in structure and flavor (slightly anise-y), and one of three/four ingredients that make up the fresh French mixture referred to as fines hèrbes, alongside tarragon, parsley and sometimes chives. These were some of the last little men standing in my garden, so I harvested what was left and put them to good use.

This is the beginning of the long East Coast winter, where squash in its many forms become the foundation of my diet. This particular squash, a voluptuous heather grey pumpkin, has sat on my windowsill as ornament since Halloween (did you really expect me to buy a regular ol’ sugar pumpkin?). I wonder, do most people toss their decorative pumpkins after the holiday, forgetting that this is nearly 10 lbs of nutritious food? Cutting into this monster can be intimidating (I am not supposed to cut squash unattended, after I sliced through my tendon doing just such a thing in college), but today I went for it, and have eaten squash for every meal since. This recipe calls for a small portion of the massive pumpkin, so use the rest for soup or better yet, pie. I love eating the leftovers roasted with a poached egg on top for breakfast too.