Grilled Chicken Breast with Baked Sweet Potato and Herb Mayonnaise

Headnote

This is a composed plate of clean flavor and disciplined contrast: lean, seasoned chicken, sweet potato with natural sweetness and depth, and a sharp, creamy mayonnaise to bind the elements. The dish depends on restraint in seasoning and precision in cooking, so each component remains distinct while the whole feels complete. It is straightforward food elevated by exactness.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Main course
Cuisine or origin: Contemporary
Course type: Lunch or dinner
Yield: 1 serving
Serving size: 485 g
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Total time: 50 minutes
Difficulty: Easy

Equipment

1 baking tray
1 grill pan or heavy skillet
1 mixing bowl
1 small bowl
1 spatula or tongs
1 sharp knife
1 cutting board

Ingredients

Chicken

Chicken breast, 220 g

Olive oil, 10 g

Salt, 3 g

Black pepper, 1 g

Paprika, 2 g

Garlic powder, 2 g

Sweet potato

Sweet potato, 220 g

Olive oil, 8 g

Salt, 2 g

Black pepper, 1 g

Paprika, 1 g

Herb mayonnaise

Mayonnaise, 30 g

Olive oil, 2 g

Garlic powder, 1 g

Black pepper, 1 g

Salt, 1 g

Method

1. Heat the oven to 200°C. Line a baking tray if needed. The oven must be fully hot before the sweet potato goes in.

2. Peel the sweet potato and cut it into even wedges or thick batons, each about 2 cm wide. Toss with 8 g olive oil, 2 g salt, 1 g black pepper, and 1 g paprika until every surface is lightly coated.

3. Spread the sweet potato on the tray in a single layer. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, turning once halfway through. The pieces are ready when the edges are browned, the surface is dry and lightly caramelized, and a knife slips through without resistance.

4. While the sweet potato roasts, season the chicken breast with 10 g olive oil, 3 g salt, 1 g black pepper, 2 g paprika, and 2 g garlic powder. Coat it evenly and let it stand for 10 minutes at room temperature.

5. Combine the mayonnaise, 2 g olive oil, 1 g garlic powder, 1 g black pepper, and 1 g salt in a small bowl. Stir until smooth and glossy. The texture should remain thick, with the seasoning fully dispersed.

6. Heat a grill pan or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Lay in the chicken breast and cook for 5 to 6 minutes on the first side without moving it. Turn and cook for 4 to 6 minutes on the second side. The surface should be deeply marked and the flesh firm but still supple.

7. Remove the chicken to a board and rest for 5 minutes. Slice across the grain into even pieces. The interior should be opaque, moist, and just cooked through.

Plating and serving

Arrange the sweet potato in a compact line or mound on one side of the plate. Set the sliced chicken beside it, slightly overlapping for a composed presentation. Finish with the herb mayonnaise placed cleanly alongside or beneath the chicken, so the plate reads as balanced, not crowded.

Professional notes

Do not crowd the sweet potato on the tray; spacing is essential for proper browning. Resting the chicken is not optional, as it preserves juiciness and keeps the slices clean. The mayonnaise should remain cool and thick so it contrasts with the warmth of the chicken and sweet potato.