New York based Juliana Balestin is a regular art contributor to Purple Magazine and Purple Diary, she works with Andre out of his Chinatown Studio and previously at Metro Pictures with the likes of Cindy Sherman and Robert Longo. Juliana gave us her favourite recipe, keeping things simple with Chicken and Potatoes.

 

Ingredients 

2 pounded chicken breasts

Olive oil Butter

1 lemon

White wine

1 pint of chicken stock

Salt and pepper

2 white Idaho potatoes 

1/2 cup half and half

1 stick butter

Arugula

 

Method 

First thing you want to do is rinse your pieces of chicken in cold water. Pat dry with paperwtowels. Salt and pepper each side very liberally and just set the meat aside on plate.

 

Put a big pot of water on the stove, salt it liberally and bring to boil. While it is heating up, wash both potatoes and peel them while the water is running. Then cut each potato in half lengthwise, and in half again crosswise, so that it is in 4 parts. Then cut each of those parts into two. Put in the water and when the water comes to a rolling boil (like really really boiling), turn it down to a simmer, put the lid about halfway on and just let the potatoes simmer for 25 min.

 

Turn your oven on and heat it to 350.

 

While the potatoes finish simmering, heat up about 2 tbsp of olive oil and 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter in a big heavy pan. Once the oil is hot put the chicken breasts down  for 2-3 minutes. Flip them and cook for another minute. Then, quickly pour 1/2 cup of white wine in the pan and squeeze a lemon over the top of the chicken, turn the flame up to high so the alcohol starts to burn and quickly dump in half of the chicken stock. The second the chicken stock goes in and things quiet down, put the whole pan in the oven and just leave it in there. in about 5 min

 

Take the stick of butter and half a cup of cream or half and half and add salt and pepper, Microwave the cream/butter until it is totally melted but not boiling or anything, which is prob like 45 seconds? I’m not sure because my microwave is really weird. Once the potatoes have been simmering for 25 min, take them off the stove and drain them. There can still be a bit of water in the pot, the potatoes will be too soft to drain in a colander so you will have to kepe them in the pot and just pour the water out and use the lid to trap the potatoes. While they are hot pour in half of the cream/butter mixture and you can either use an electric beater or just stir the potatoes around with a fork, they will mash very easily on their own. When they start to look dry pour in more cream/butter. Season with salt and pepper and put the lid back on the potatoes. 

 

I’d say after 10 min cut into one piece and see if it is cooked through. If it is pink at all, keep it in for longer. If it is all white and cooked, pull it out.

 

Then put a scoop of mashed potato on a plate. Cover with arugula. Lay a chicken breast on top and spoon sauce from the pan over all of it so that it makes a dressing for the arugula and a sauce for the potato. you can serve with a lemon wedge on the side.

 

Photographer - Post New

Adam Bryce