Seared Chicken & Sage Gravy

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a small pot of salted water to boiling on high. Medium dice the potato. Pick the sage leaves off the stems; discard the stems. Finely chop ¾ of the sage leaves, keeping the remaining leaves whole. Peel the carrots; quarter lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 2-inch-long pieces. Peel and mince the garlic. Roughly chop the pecans.

Add the potato to the pot of boiling water and cook 12 to 14 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Off the heat, add half the butter and ¼ of the milk. Using a fork, mash to your desired consistency; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.

While the potato cooks, in a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a thin layer of oil on medium-high until hot. Add the whole sage leaves in a single, even layer and cook, stirring occasionally, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until dark green and crispy. Leaving the oil in the pan, transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and immediately season with salt and pepper.

While the potato continues to cook, heat the pan of reserved oil on medium-high until hot. Add the carrots and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 minutes, or until slightly softened. Add half the garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl. Rinse and wipe out the pan.

While the potato continues to cook, place ¾ of the flour on a plate. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Thoroughly coat the seasoned chicken in the flour (tapping off any excess). Transfer to a separate plate. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated chicken and cook 5 to 7 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate.

Add the chopped sage, remaining butter and remaining garlic to the pan of reserved fond; season with salt and pepper. Cook on medium-high, stirring frequently, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the butter has melted and the sage is fragrant. Add the remaining flour. Cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until well combined. Add the remaining milk. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the cooked carrots, mashed potato and cooked chicken between 2 dishes. Top the chicken with the gravy. Garnish with the pecans and fried sage (crumbling before adding). Enjoy!