Blackberry Chicken
Submitted by joanne
Pan-seared chicken breasts in a silky blackberry vinegar and cream sauce with shallots, crème de cassis, and fresh blackberries. French-inspired, elegant, and on the table in about an hour.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
40 minREADY
60 minFruit and poultry is one of those pairings that separates good cooks from great ones, and this dish lands squarely in the great category.
Thin-pounded chicken breasts get a quick sear in olive oil, then rest while shallots soften in the same pan.
Blackberry vinegar reduces to a glossy, tangy syrup before chicken broth, cream, and a splash of crème de cassis come together into a sauce that’s equal parts rich and bright.
The chicken simmers gently in the sauce to finish cooking, and fresh blackberries are tossed in right at the end so they warm through but keep their shape.
Chef Tips
- Pound the chicken breasts thin and even so they cook in the same amount of time. Uneven pieces mean dry edges and raw centers.
- Reduce the blackberry vinegar until it’s thick and syrupy, about one spoonful’s worth. This concentrated flavor is the backbone of the sauce.
- Don’t overcook the chicken in the sauce. Five minutes of gentle simmering is enough. Overdo it and you’ll have shoe leather.
- Add the blackberries at the very end and cook just one minute so they hold their shape and burst slightly on the plate.
Ingredients
Directions
- Rinse the chicken well and pat it dry. Cut each chicken breast in half along the breastbone line.
Remove the fillets (the finger-size muscle on the back of each half) and re- serve them for another use.
Flatten each breast half with the flat end of a meat pounder until thin.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet, add the breasts, and cook over medium heat until they are lightly colored, about 3 minutes per side.
Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Add the shallots to the skillet and cook over low heat until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the vinegar, raise the heat, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has reduced to a syrupy spoonful.
Whisk in the stock, cream, and creme de casis, and simmer for 1 minute.
Return the breasts to the skillet and simmer them gently in the sauce until they are just done, about 5 minutes; do not overcook.
Remove the breasts with a slotted spoon and arrange them on a heated serving platter.
Simmer the sauce gently until it has reduced and thickened slightly, 3 minutes.
Add the blackberries; cook 1 minute.
Pour the sauce over the breasts and serve immediately, garnished with chervil leaves.
Serves 4.
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