Chicken breasts make for a quick and easy main course, but because chicken is such a lean meat, it can easily dry out. Here it is colored in a pan and then braised in chicken stock, butter, and Marsala. Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily, and can be substituted with Madeira or medium sweet sherry.
SERVES: 2
INGREDIENTS:
- Olive oil
- 2 chicken breasts, skin on
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 heads of chicory, trimmed and cut in half lengthwise
- 4 thyme sprigs
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and lightly crushed
- 3 Tbsp Marsala wine
- ⅔ cup chicken stock
- Butter
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Heat a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat and add a little oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides, and place it, skin side down, in the hot pan. Add the chicory, cut side down, 2 thyme sprigs, and the garlic and cook for 3–4 minutes until the chicken skin is dark golden.
- Turn the chicken and chicory over. Pour in the Marsala to deglaze the pan, scraping up the bits from the bottom, then add the chicken stock and a couple of chunks of butter. Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes, occasionally spooning over the sauce, until the chicken is just cooked
through. - Serve the chicken and chicory topped with spoonfuls of sauce and garnished with the remaining thyme sprigs.
