Italian chicken with red wine and vegetable sauce

By chris5863

A little dinner experiment that went very right.

Ingredients

• 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts pounded to 3/4 inch
• 1 small onion small dice
• 2 cloves garlic sliced thin
• 1 T EVOO
• 3 T butter divided
• 1 cup cabernet sauvignon
• 1/2 pound button mushrooms sliced
• 1 T dried tarragon
• 1 T dried basil
• 1 T dried thyme
• 1 t fennel seeds
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 32 oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts
• 1/2 pound pitted calamata olives
• 1 cup chicken stock

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a heavy skillet large enough to hold all of the chicken over medium high heat and add the EVOO. Salt and pepper the chicken on both sides and when the oil is very hot add the chicken and cook just until it releases on both sides and then remove to a platter.

Add 1 T butter to the pan and the onion and garlic, cook until just soft, but do not allow the garlic to burn. Add the wine and stir occasionally until most of the wine has evaporated. While the wine is evaporating place all of the dried herbs and fennel seeds in a food mill and process until a consistent size and most of the seeds are broken up. Add the mushrooms and season with salt, pepper and 2 t of the herb mixture. Cook until the mushrooms have given off their liquid. Add the tomatoes, artichokes, olives and remaining 2 T butter and stir until it simmers. Add the chicken stock and another 2 t of the herb mixture and bring to a boil. Once at a boil taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly. Add the chicken and any juices from the platter to he skillet and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked 165 F.

Serve with a nice red wine and plenty of the pan juices and vegetables over the chicken. I love the combination of the mushrooms, tomatoes, olives and chicken in a single bite. A little crusty bread helps with the juices on the plate.