Chef Dawn Hedges Entrée

Airline Chicken with Senate Bean Soup

Ingredients

1 lb navy beans
2 ham hocks
4 chopped cloves of garlic
4 potatoes
1 large chopped onion
4 chopped celery stalks
8 skin-on airline chicken breasts
3 tablespoons olive oil

Steps

1. Soak 1 pound of navy beans in water overnight making sure they are completely submerged.
2. Drain the beans the following day and add the beans and 4 quarts of water to a large stockpot.
3. Add 2 ham hocks and 4 chopped cloves of garlic. 
4. Bring to a boil, and then simmer for 2 hours.
5. In a separate pot, boil 4 potatoes until tender. 
6. Mash the potatoes and add them to the pot after two hours. 
7. Add 1 large chopped onion and 4 chopped celery stalks. 
8. Simmer for an additional hour. 
9. Pull the ham off of the bone, chop the meat and return it to the pot. 
10. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
11. Serve in a shallow soup bowl.
12. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. 
13. Season both sides of 8 skin-on airline chicken breasts. 
14. Place 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauté pan and turn to medium high heat. 
15. Place the chicken breasts skin-side down in the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes. 
16. Then place the pan directly in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.
17. Remove the pan from the oven and flip the chicken breast skin-side up. 
18. Serve directly on top of the Senate bean soup.