Roasted Sonoma Chicken with Wild Rice and Carrot Butter
Recipe courtesy of chef Ari Weiswasser
Serves: 4

• 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts
  
• 3/4 cup kosher salt, plus additional for seasoning
  
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1 gallon water
  
• 1 cup carrot juice
  
• 4 tablespoons butter, diced
  
• 1 1/2 cups wild rice
  
• 3 1/3 cups chicken stock
  
• 2 large onions, diced
  
• 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 teaspoons curry spice
  
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
  
• 4 tablespoons sun-dried tomato, chopped finely
  
• canola oil or olive oil
  
• 1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1. Brine chicken in 3/4 cup salt, sugar and water. Refrigerate 1 hour; pat dry and store overnight, uncovered, in fridge.
2. Add carrot juice to saucepan and reduce to thick consistency on high heat, 10-15 minutes. Whisk vigorously if juice separates. Whisk in butter. Set aside to cool.
3. In pot, cover wild rice with chicken stock. Bring to simmer and cook 45 minutes to 1 hour. Season with salt.
4. Heat oven to 400° F.
5. In frying pan on medium-high heat, sweat onions in olive oil until soft. Add curry spice and toast until aromatic, 1-2 minutes. Add vinegar and salt; stir well. Fold through sun-dried tomatoes.
6. Place chicken skin-side up on roasting pan fitted with rack. Brush chicken with canola or olive oil and season with salt. Roast about 25-35 minutes until golden brown; internal temperature should be 165° F. Drizzle with roasting juices; add salt and chopped parsley before plating.
7. To plate, add carrot butter to wild rice; scoop 1/2 cup onto each dish. Place chicken skin-side up on top of rice. Dollop with onion, curry and tomato mixture.

Pair each serving with a glass of Kenwood Vineyards Sonoma County Pinot Noir 2014.