Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Chicken, can you ever have too many great chicken recipes? In my book the answer is no. So here is a typically pan sautéed preparation for a great light chicken dish. This recipe is from the Basque country.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 bell peppers, seeded and cut into strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
8 grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half
3 ounces ham or Canadian bacon, julienned
5 ounces watercress, roughly chopped
Procedure
Put 2 tablespoons of the vinegar on a rimmed plate and put the chicken on top of the vinegar turning it to coat and let it marinate for 15 minutes. Heat the oil and the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Pat the chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Now brown the chicken very well in the hot pan on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add the onions and lower the heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Next add the sliced peppers garlic and cayenne. Cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes until peppers are very tender. Return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes ham or bacon and remaining vinegar. Cover and simmer for 5-7 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Now toss in the watercress and give it a few quick turns and serve immediately. This is lovely to serve with a little polenta or even Risotto, if you feel like doing all that stirring.
