Chicken & Snow Pea-Radish Sauté with Candied Pistachios

This was one of the more unique meals we’ve tried from Blue Apron so far. Sweet, crunchy pistachios give a wonderful bit of crunch to the tender chicken and herbed veggies.

I wasn’t expecting to be a big fan of the mix of vegetables in this dish, but I ended up really liking it. There was a nice variety of colors and textures, which made it all the more enjoyable to eat. I definitely found myself rationing the bits of candied pistachios toward the end so I could enjoy it with my final bites.

I’m glad that Blue Apron has been using the Airline cut – a boneless, skin-on chicken breast with the drumette attached. It looks and feels a bit nicer than your standard chicken breast. And cooking them is a cinch!

Just a note – the recipes from Blue Apron call for “1 bunch” of herbs, and that correlates to the size of the “bunch” they send if you’re using their service (which I’m absolutely in love with!). I’d say their bunches are about 1-2 tablespoons.

Chicken & Snow Pea-Radish Sauté with Candied Pistachios
Blue Apron

Makes: 2 Servings
Calories: About 555 Per Serving

4 Ounces Baby Purple Potatoes
3 Ounces Snow Peas
3 Radishes
1 1/2 Tablespoons Roasted, Salted Pistachios
2 Airline Chicken Breasts
1 Bunch Tarragon
1 Shallot
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a small pot of salted water to boiling on high. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Cut the potatoes and radishes into rounds. Snap off the stem of each snow pea and pull off the tough string that runs the length of the pod. Cut each pod in half on an angle. Roughly chop the pistachios. Pick the tarragon leaves off the stems; discard the stems and finely chop the leaves. Peel and thinly slice the shallot.

2 Cook the potatoes:
Once the pot of water is boiling, add the potatoes. Cook 7 to 9 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly and set aside as you continue cooking. Rinse and wipe out the pot.

3 Cook the chicken:
While the potatoes cook, pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the seasoned chicken, skin side down first, and cook, loosely covering the pan with aluminum foil, 7 to 9 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate, leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan. Loosely cover the plate with aluminum foil to keep warm.

4 Make the candied pistachios:
While the chicken cooks, lightly grease or line a small sheet pan with parchment paper. In the same pot used to cook the potatoes, heat the sugar and ¼ cup of water to boiling on medium-high, without stirring. Boil the sugar water 2 to 3 minutes, or just until it turns medium amber in color. Immediately remove from heat and add the pistachios. Stir until thoroughly coated. Using a spoon or spatula, spread the candied nut mixture in an even layer on the prepared sheet pan. Set aside to cool.

5 Cook the vegetables:
To the reserved chicken fond, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil and heat on medium until hot. Add the drained potatoes and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Add the snow peas and radishes; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until slightly softened. Stir in the butter until melted. Add the tarragon and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

6 Plate your dish:
Divide the cooked vegetables and chicken between 2 plates. Break apart the candied pistachios and place on top of each piece of chicken. Enjoy!

Big Flavors Rating: 4 Stars