Chicken with Tomatoes and Fresh Herbs
The beauty and simplicity of fresh herbs and garden-ripened tomatoes are showcased in this fall chicken recipe.
Heirlooms add more flavor and pizazz, but cherry or plums will work well too.
This recipe serves two, but can be easily doubled or tripled. Scale back on the number of tomatoes when doing so.
Serve it up with a chilled glass of dry white wine, farm-fresh wilted greens, and boiled red bliss potatoes. It’s a sunset-and-back-patio-ready meal.
1 whole chicken breast, divided in half
3 large sprigs fresh rosemary
7 large fresh basil leaves
4 cloves of garlic
olive oil for pan
½ cup dry white wine
½ large white onion, peeled and chopped
3 large fresh heirloom tomatoes, or 4 canned whole peeled tomatoes
2-3 Tbs fresh tomato juice
sea salt
freshly grated black pepper
Wash and dry the chicken; set aside.
Remove the rosemary from the stem, and chop it finely. Chop the basil into thin strips. Peel and chop the garlic and toss to add it to the herbs. Set aside.
Heat a skillet or heavy-bottomed frying pan over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the pan. When the pan is very hot, add the chicken to sear, cooking no longer than 15 seconds on each side.
Immediately pour the wine over the chicken. Squish the tomatoes between your hands and add, along with the tomato juice, the onion, and the garlic herb mixture. Grate fresh black pepper over the mixture, and add sea salt to taste. Stir, and cover.
Cook over high heat for several minutes. Flip the chicken, replace the cover and cook for several minutes more.
Turn the gas down to medium-low and cook uncovered until done, about 5 minutes more, depending on the thickness of the breasts. The chicken is done when the center is not pink. Do not overcook.
