My original basis for this recipe was Melissa D'Arabia's winning recipe from Food Network Star. I knew this recipe was a gem from the start. It is INCREDIBLY versatile and can easily be alterered to fit any flavor profile you like. It's an easy technique that makes for amazing results. My initial problem with this recipe was that it made quite a bit of sauce that was way too good to just spoon it over the chicken and serve it with potatoes.
I tweaked the recipe to make it my own. I upped some of the liquids to make it with enough sauce to coat a mountain of pasta and it is DIVINE.
To start, I take 3 large, boneless, skinless chicken breasts and butterfly them. Take a sharp knife and cut right through the center of them lengthwise, so you end up with 6 pieces of chicken. Season both sides of the chicken with salt, pepper and some dried thyme. Coat the bottom of a heavy saucepan with some olive oil and get it heated up over medium heat. Dredge the pieces of chicken in flour and place them into the saucepan. These won't take long to cook through, and they will cook again in a later step, so no need to worry about them being cooked through just yet! I cook them for about 4 minutes per side, until the flour is just starting to brown on the outside. Remove them from the pan onto a plate tented with foil. Now get ready for the magic.
Add some diced onion and about a tablespoon of fresh thyme to the hot oil and cook until aromatic and tender. Add 1/2 cup of white wine to the pan and scrape up all of those brown bits off the bottom. Add in chicken broth, some more dried thyme, And the juice of three lemons. This is what you end up with...
Already looking good! At this point you can start cooking your pasta. This time we chose rotini...
Once the pasta starts cooking, it's time to finish the sauce. Whisk in 2 tablespoons of butter. This will give the sauce that glossy sheen you've been waiting for! I return the pieces of chicken to the pan. Put them in, stir them around a bit to coat the bottom with sauce, then give them a flip.
When the pasta is just about done, remove the chicken from the pan one more time. Drain the pasta reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss the pasta right in the pan with the sauce until it is well coated and glossy. If it seems too thick, add in some of the reserved cooking water.
Once the pasta is all coated, I place the chicken right on top and serve it right from the pan... Why dirty another bowl, we're going for rustic here! Plate it up and serve with some crusty Italian bread to soak up all that lemony sauce goodness!
Enjoy!! And here's the full recipe...
Ingredients:
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, butterflied
Salt and pepper, to taste
Dried thyme, 2 teaspoons, divided
1/4 cup flour
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pasta of your choice, 1 lb.
1 large yellow onion, diced
1/2 tablespoon fresh thyme, lightly chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 cups chicken broth
Juice of 3 lemons, about 1/2 cup
2 tablespoons butter
Season chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and 1 tsp. of dried thyme. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan. Dredge chicken in flour, then cook in hot oil, for a few minutes per side, until coating is golden brown. Remove chicken from pan and place on a plate tented with foil. Sauté onion and fresh thyme in the saucepan until tender and aromatic. Add wine to the pan and deglaze, scraping up all brown bits on the bottom. Add broth, remaining dried thyme and lemon juice to the pan. Cook the sauce until starting to reduce, about 20 minutes over medium heat. Whisk in butter until melted and thoroughly combined. Return chicken to the pan, flipping once to ensure each piece is coated in sauce. Remove from the pan and set aside. Drain cooked pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Toss pasta in the lemon sauce until coated and glossy. If it seems too thick add in pasta water until desired consistency. Top with chicken, serve hot with Italian bread and Parmesan cheese for sprinkling. Enjoy!!!
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