So Many Dishes

In our family, it’s all about the sauce. Probably the most common criticism one of us will make about a new recipe is, “there’s not enough sauce.” We want sauce to put over pasta or a grain, or just soak up with some good bread.

One way I satisfy our sauce craving is to make more of it than what the original recipe calls for. These days, since I’m mostly cooking for two, I generally take a recipe for four, cut the protein in half, and leave the rest of the ingredients as directed.

That strategy worked perfectly this past weekend, when I made chicken Veronique. This is such a delicious, elegant, but easy recipe. I use the version from America’s Test Kitchen’s Chicken Bible. I enjoy the ATK cookbooks as much for reading as a recipe source. I’ve learned a lot from the explanations in these books. In addition to cutting the amount of chicken, I made two other changes. I substituted half-and-half for the heavy cream the original recipe called for. I also used fresh oregano instead of tarragon, since neither of us is a fan of tarragon. I would have preferred to use thyme, but I didn’t have any fresh thyme. This is my amended recipe.

Chicken Veronique

• 1 12-14 oz. boneless chicken breast, cut in half horizontally
• 1/4 t. salt
• 1/8 t. pepper
• 1 tablespoon plus 3/4 cup chicken broth, divided
• 1 t. cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/3 cup half-and-half
• 3/4 cup seedless green grapes, halved lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/2 t. lemon juice

Pound the chicken breast pieces to uniform 1/2 inch thickness. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Whisk 1 tablespoon broth and cornstarch together in a small bowl to make a slurry; set aside. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Lightly brown chicken on both sides, about 3 minutes per side; transfer to plate.

Add shallot to the skillet and cook until softened, 1 minute. Add wine and cook until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 3 minutes. Add remaining 3/4 cup broth, chicken, and any accumulated juices; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until chicken registers 160 degrees, 5 to 7 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a platter and tent with aluminum foil. Increase heat to medium-high, add half-and-half and cornstarch slurry, and cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir grapes, thyme, lemon juice,and any accumulated juices from chicken into sauce until heated through, about one minute. Pour sauce over chicken and serve. Serves 2.

I served the chicken with steamed asparagus and some of my homemade wheat bread. We also enjoyed a delicious white wine from Sicily that was a birthday gift to Ken from our son.

I hope your dinner tonight is yummy. Happy eating!