Herbed and Salt-encrusted Chicken Breast

This has to be our absolute favorite main course. It is wonderful with our mashed potatoes and the gravy that is made from the juices arising from cooking this chicken.

Ingredients:

1 bone-in, with-skin free range chicken breast (Rocky is excellent)
fresh herbs: marjorum, rosemary, thyme, two 3 inch sprigs of each
sea salt: flake
1 cup chicken stock (organic or homemade)
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons flour
water for thinning the gravy

Wash the chicken breast and pat dry with paper towels. Evenly divide the herbs into two bunches. Slip one bunch between the skin and each breast half. Salt the exterior generously using 1 tsp of sea salt, and rest uncovered at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat an oven to 450 or 500 degrees F. Heat a 12 inch, oven-proof heavy saute pan on the stove with 3 tablespoons olive oil, until just smoking. Add the chicken, breast side down, and saute for 4 to 5 minutes until the skin is crusted and brown. Turn the chicken over, so that it is breast side up, and cook for another 4 minutes. Transfer the saute pan with chicken into the preheated oven. Cook for 10 minutes, then add 1/2 cup chicken stock into the pan around the chicken but not poured over it. After 10 minutes more, add another 1/2 cup of stock similarly. Cook until an instant thermometer registers 160 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast. Remove the saute pan with chicken to a hot plate. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, draining the juice into the saute pan at the start of the transfer. Move the saute pan with fats and juices to the stove. Heat to simmering. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour, as needed, and stir until fully distributed with a wire whisk. Pour water into the roux while whisking and heating, to make a thickened gravy. Continue whisking water into the gravy until the desired consistency is reached. Season as desired with pepper, and with some salt but not too much as the salt from the chicken will carry over into the juices. If desired, color with Kitchen Bouquet to reach a darker brown. Slice the chicken just before serving, allowing some of the crispy skin to accompany each portion. Serve with mashed potatoes (see our recipe, this site) and some vegetables of choice.