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Best of October – Sauteed Chicken with Garlic
Served with sage potatoes
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Serves 4
Prep time: 12 minutes Total time: 37 minutes |
- 1 bunch sage
- 1 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
- 1-1/2 lbs. green beans
- 1-1/2 lbs. small potatoes (we love Yukon Golds)
- 1 lemon, preferably organic
- 1 shallot
- 4 boneless chicken breasts, preferably organic
- 1 loaf of fresh, crusty bread
Shopping List
- All-purpose flour
- Black pepper
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 5 garlic cloves
- Sea salt
- Unsalted butter
Pantry Items
- Bread knife
- Chef’s knife
- Heavy skillet
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Medium saucepan
- Mixing bowls
- Paring knife
- Spatula
- Steamer
- Strainer
- Tongs
- Vegetable Peeler
- Wooden spoons
Tools
- Wine: Sauvignon Blanc
- Dessert: NoTakeOut Brownies
- This makes amazing leftovers; make a double batch of everything, and either heat it up, or cut the potatoes and chicken into small chunks and toss them into a bowl and drizzle with some lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil for a salad.
Suggestions
- When you walk in the door
- Don’t refrigerate the chicken
- Get out Pantry Items
- Get out Tools
- Assemble the ingredients
- Open the wine and put it in the fridge
- Prep
- Rinse and pat dry the chicken breasts.
- Measure ½ cup flour into a shallow bowl.
- Add 1 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper to the flour, and mix it with your fingers.
- Pluck about 5 sage leaves (if they’re small; 2-3 if they’re large)
- Rinse and pat dry the parsley, pluck 1 cup leaves.
- Snip both ends from the green beans. Rinse them.
- Peel the garlic.
- Peel and mince the shallot.
- Wash the potatoes and put them in the medium saucepan. (If they’re organic, you don’t need to peel them. Otherwise, it’s a good idea to remove the peel.)
- Cut the lemon in half. Cut one half of the lemon into 4 wedges.
- Start Cooking
- Cover the potatoes with water, add 2 tsps. salt, and put them over medium-high heat. When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat so it’s simmering and cook until the potatoes are tender. This will take about 15 minutes.
- Put 2 tbsps. butter in a bowl big enough for the potatoes.
- Coarsely chop the sage leaves (to give 1 heaping tbsp. chopped sage) and add it to the butter in the bowl. Mix the sage into the butter.
- Put 2 tbsps. olive oil, a big pinch of salt, and the shallot in another bowl, big enough for the beans. Mix well.
- Bring 2 cups water to a boil in the bottom of a steamer.
- Add the beans, cover, and cook until they are tender, about 11 minutes.
- Get someone to set the table because you don’t have time.
- Put the chicken breasts in the flour mixture, one at a time, and coat them on both sides with the flour.
- Heat 3 tbsps. olive oil in the heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When it’s hot but not smoking, add the chicken breasts. Brown them on each side, which will take a total of about 6 minutes.
- Check the beans – if they are the tenderness you like, remove them from the heat. (If they need more cooking, leave them in the steamer).
- Put the beans in the bowl with the olive oil and shallot and toss, toss, toss. Taste a bean – correct the seasoning. These are ready – take them to the table.
- Get back to the chicken – squeeze half the lemon over it, turn the pieces, cover and cook for about 8 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, mince the parsley and the garlic together.
- After 8 minutes, remove the lid, sprinkle the chicken with the parsley and garlic, turn the chicken breasts, scrape the bottom of the pan as best you can, cover and continue to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Slice the bread and put it in a basket.
- Drain the potatoes and put them in the bowl with the butter and sage. Toss the potatoes until the butter is melted.
- Check the chicken – it should be cooked. Transfer it to a serving dish, scraping any browned bits from the pan into the serving dish.
- Garnish the chicken with the lemon wedges and some parsley sprigs.
- Shower the potatoes with salt and pepper, toss again, and get the food to the table.
- Don’t forget the wine!
