Fancy-Pants Pan Chicken

Fancy-Pants Pan Chicken 

I made this chicken using the cast iron skillet my mother gave me for Christmas a few years ago (holy moly that thing is heavy).  If you don’t have a cast iron skillet you can use any oven safe frying pan or wrap the handle on your frying pan with some aluminum foil.  A quick tip if you don’t have a tight fitting lid for the pan you are using (I don’t) measure the tinfoil for your pan before you begin cooking (this will save you from some blisters).  This dish looks, sounds and tastes fancy but it’s so easy!

Serves 4

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

4 Cloves garlic, crushed

12 Sprigs fresh thyme

Coarse Salt

4 Bone-in skinless chicken breasts, fat trimmed off

½ Cup white wine

½ Cup chicken stock

Salt

Pepper

–  Preheat your oven to 400.

–  In a bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme and add some coarse salt and fresh ground pepper.

–  Spread the thyme and garlic mixture evenly across the chicken breasts.  Season the top of the chicken breast with salt and pepper.

–  Place your skillet over medium high heat, when it is hot place the chicken breasts, meat side down (the bones should be facing upwards).  Season with salt and pepper (the bone side).

–  Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes, until the meat is golden brown.

–  Flip the chicken breasts, so that they are now bone side down.  Add the wine and chicken stock to the pan.  Tightly wrap the top of the pan with the tinfoil or lid; the goal is to create an airtight environment for the chicken to steam in.

–  Place the chicken in the oven.

–  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, depending on the size of the breasts (you will know the chicken is cooked when the juices run clear).

–  Remove the pan from the oven and let the chicken stand in the pan, covered for 5 minutes before removing the foil and serving.

–  Remove the stems of the thyme from the chicken breasts before you serve them.

Notes:

1. You can use all white wine (1 cup) or all chicken stock (1 cup) if you prefer.
2. I wouldn’t use red wine here because it would discolour the chicken.
3. Water would work but you won’t get nearly as much flavour.
4. If you want you can add some of the pan juices to the serving platter but there is chicken fat in it; no matter how clean the breasts were before they went in the pan.  I didn’t use the pan juices and I really didn’t miss it.
5. Yum!