Serves four
Ingredients:
- 4 each chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, pounded to ¼-inch thickness
- ½ cup all-purpose flour, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- 1 pear, peeled and cored, diced to ½-inch
- 2 Tbsp. shallots
- 1 tsp. mixed fresh chopped herbs - any mix of rosemary, thyme and sage
- ¼ cup pear or apple brandy
- ¼ cup apple cider or juice
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- While heating the sauté pan on medium-high heat, lightly dredge the chicken breasts in the flour, then shake off the excess flour.
- Add the oil to the pan and add the chicken, splashing away from you to avoid getting hot oil on you. Don’t crowd the pan with too much meat or the pan will cool off too much and not sauté. Simply cook the meat in two batches.
- Cook the chicken for about 1 ½ minutes on each side or until light golden and remove from pan. Reserve.
- In the same pan, add the pears and cook until light golden, about 30 seconds. Add shallots and herbs and cook 20 seconds or until aromatic.
- Deglaze the pan with the brandy and cook down until the pan is nearly dry. Add the apple cider and chicken broth, bring this to a boil and boil it down until a light syrupy glaze remains. Add the butter and whisk in to become slightly creamy.
- Season to taste with the salt and pepper. Place the meat back in the pan to coat with sauce and to reheat and or cook through. Look for the internal temperature of the chicken to be 165 degrees Fahrenheit or for there to be no pink inside.
- Serve with your favorite accompaniments, using the vegetables of the season. Enjoy!
Chef Jamie Roraback is with the Lincoln Culinary Institute
