Coastal Mains
Sautéed Chicken Breasts with Veggie Butter Sauce
The Strategy:
Dredging butterflied chicken breasts in seasoned breadcrumbs and sautéing them creates a wonderfully crispy crust that holds up to a rich, velvety pan sauce. The sauce combines sweet onions, zucchini, red bell pepper, and grape tomatoes in a white wine reduction finished with melted butter and fresh basil. It is a fantastic, comforting dish that brings a restaurant-quality feel to your dining room.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 large chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded to ½-inch thickness
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- 1 cup breadcrumbs (make your own from toasted bread mixed with a bit of dried spice)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, peeled and diced into ¼-inch pieces, about 1 cup
- 1 medium zucchini, diced into ¼-inch cubes, about 1 cup
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes, about 1 cup
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, chopped, about 1 cup
- 2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely diced, about ½ cup
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced, about 2 tablespoons
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 4 tablespoons butter, cubed, ½ stick
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken breasts onto you work surface and season both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each one in bread crumbs, coating both sides.
- Sauté the chicken in olive oil until golden on one side, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Turn and cook the other side until golden, about 3 minutes more. You can do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet.
- Transfer the chicken to a platter.
- Heat 2 more tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet.
- Add the veggies and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper. When the veggies are soft and just beginning to turn brown, pour in the wine.
- Add the chicken back to the pan. Continue cooking until all the liquid disappears.
- Turn off the heat.
- Add the butter to the skillet and stir until the butter melts.
- Toss in the basil.
- Serve the chicken with spoons full of veggie butter sauce over top.
Farmers Market Tip
During the riverboat trip to Burgundy, Sue and I were fortunate to meet a lovely young winemaker, Susie Selby. Her vineyard, Selby Winery, is located in Healdsburg, CA. She spoke so lovingly about wine, and the production of wine, from growing the grape, to un corking an aged bottle, that we were immediately captivated. Although I use wine in so many recipes, drinking wine with my meal is what I love the best. Susie, had these thoughts about wine and roses: About Wine and Roses “Throughout the world, one will frequently see roses planted at the end of each row of vines. This tradition started centuries ago because the roses would show signs of disease before the vines and would thus serve as an indicator of problems for winemakers. Legend also states that during the days of horse-drawn ploughs, the equine would make wide turns at the end of the rows to avoid the thorns, thus reducing the damage to the vines as well as the stakes and wires. Today the roses are a beautiful reminder of the wine industry’s most recent history. Perhaps they also represent the vulnerability that the vineyards will always have to Mother Nature.”
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The Heart of the Table
The rich aroma of garlic, white wine, and fresh basil simmering in butter makes the kitchen feel like a sanctuary of comfort, drawing everyone close. This dish is a beautiful celebration of color, with the bright red peppers and green zucchini spooned over the golden chicken. It creates a warm, celebratory atmosphere that makes guests feel pampered and cared for.
- a set of heavy-gauge, satin-finished stainless steel mixing bowls
- a platinum-grade non-stick silicone baking mat for consistent heat conduction
- a large, hand-thrown ceramic serving platter with an organic rim
- a well-seasoned 12-inch cast-iron skillet with dual pour spouts
- a teardrop weighted stainless steel bar spoon with a twisted stem
- a flexible high-carbon stainless steel fish spatula with a walnut handle
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Place the sautéed chicken breasts on a pre-warmed serving platter, spooning the colorful veggie butter sauce abundantly over the top, garnished with fresh basil.
- THE POUR: A medium-bodied, lightly oaked Chardonnay or a crisp Sauvignon Blanc to complement the rich butter sauce and fresh vegetables.
- THE VIBE: Evening Dining Room: Soft candlelight and gentle background jazz set a sophisticated yet relaxed tone for a comforting dinner.
