Kardea Gourmet

Makes 6-7 servings

This dish fits into a regular rotation in our kitchen. I usually can get it on the table in 30-40 minutes from when I walk through the door in the evening. I also try to make extra. It is great the next day.

Combining sweetness and acid, this dish complements a range of fresh vegetables and whole grains. Season with garlic when serving with a roasted vegetable and barley pilaf. Try using rosemary in place of the garlic when serving greens sautéed with garlic and a loaf of fresh whole wheat French bread.

Sliced and cold, we also use this chicken as one of four or five elements of an antipasto. Make a plate with a few olives, some roasted red peppers (I also keep multiple jars on-hand, but if time allows, fresh roasted is usually tastier), a small wedge of aged provolone, a slice of onion, a couple of lettuce leaves and a glass of wine.

Ingredients

1.75    Pounds Chicken Breast or Thigh, boneless and skinless
2 -3    Cloves Garlic
4         Tablespoons of Kardea Olive Oil with plant sterols
¾        Cup Balsamic Vinegar*
¾        Cup White or Red Wine*
           Salt and Pepper to Taste

Preparation

I usually buy the whole chicken breast. For this dish, I quarter the breast and then slice each into 2 thinner pieces. I then pound them thinner. You can jump this step. Most grocery stores offer thin cut chicken breast that are just fine. The thinner the meat, the faster the cooking, and the more likely that the taste of the reduction will be absorbed throughout. The pounding, however, improves the texture of the finished dish. 

Peel the garlic and crush with the side of a knife (you can use a garlic press but I find them annoying to clean).

Heat a large pan on a medium setting, and then add the olive oil and the garlic. Cook for about a minute, adding the chicken before the garlic begins to brown. Cook on both sides so that the chicken is almost cooked through.

Add wine and balsamic vinegar while the chicken remains in the pan. After about a minute, turn the chicken and cook for another minute. Now remove the chicken from the pan. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil, add ground pepper, and cook down for another 4-5 minutes. Pour liquid over chicken (or return chicken to the pan). Serve and enjoy.

I love garlic, but in an effort to offer complementary flavors, I typically will use it in only one of the dishes served in a course. When I have a hankering for a sautéed vegetable with garlic, I leave the garlic out of the chicken. Instead, I will sauté in salt, pepper and olive oil only. The steps after this remain the same. To bring some further complexity to the dish, however, I add rosemary when adding the balsamic and wine to the pan. Try other herbs. Porcini mushrooms also work well.

*Use any good quality balsamic vinegar you might find in a grocery store; if you are stocking a very high end balsamic vinegar, I would probably save for another use. The wine used in this dish can significantly change the nuance of the flavors, but try with whatever white or red you might have opened.