Chicken Breast with Garlic Wine

By [e-mail]

Ingredients

• Ingredients for garlic wine:
• 9 garlic cloves
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 2 sprigs of tarragon
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly crushed peppercorns
• 1 cup dry white wine or dry French vermouth
• Ingredients for chicken:
• 3/4 cup Garlic Wine (recipe follows)
• 4 boneless chicken breast halves
• Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• Flour, for dredging
• 2 tablespoons clarified butter
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh tarragon, plus additional for seasoning
• 1/3 cup heavy cream

Preparation

Step 1

1) To make garlic wine: One to two days before serving, halve garlic cloves and put them in a 1-pint canning jar along with thyme, tarragon and crushed pepper corns. Bring wine or vermouth to a boil in a small saucepan. Pour over ingredients in jar. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for 1 to2 days. Strain wine through cheesecloth and return to a clean jar. Discard solids. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
2) To prepare chicken: Trim chicken breasts and flatten slightly with a rolling pin to form cutlets of an even thickness. Season with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Heat clarified butter and oil in a large skillet over moderately high heat until sizzling. Add chicken breasts and sauté on both sides, until lightly browned and just cooked through, about 5 minutes total. Do not overcook. Transfer chicken to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Add tarragon and cook over gentle heat for 10 seconds. Add garlic wine and water, scraping pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Bring contents of pan to a boil. Add cream and boil to reduce until thick enough to coat a spoon. Adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, and more tarragon to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve at once. Yield: 4 servings.