A Plate Full

Hi!!!!!!!  Finally!  It’s so great being here.  I’ve been thinking about you a lot.  The holidays have come and gone, it’s a new year (!), and I’ve done a little traveling.  Most importantly, the kitchen is finally back in working order.  I can get back to doing what I really love to do, cook, and share it with you. Now I’m sure a few of you were thinking that I just left you flat.  But you were with me at my family’s house for the holidays, and you were more than on my mind in Mexico.  I was there for the First Annual Food Blogger Camp, and it was a blast!  I learned so many things to make what I do here more enjoyable for you, and met a roomful of extremely talented people.  The little kid inside me is just squirming and bursting to say “Guess who I sat next to, you’ll never guess.  Go on guess!  Then I’m like, okay, be cool, just act cool.  Yeah…we all know that’s not me.  Seriously tho’, it was fun, and those other folks?  They were cool.  But enough about me, let’s get back to you!  I can’t wait to hear what you’ve been up to, and what you’ve cooked.  Come on, tell.

I wanted a recipe that tasted like you’d want a new year to taste.  I know it’s late, but still.  This dish is bright, in color and flavor, with a lovely depth and silky mouth feel.  It’s relatively healthy, but so satisfying that you’ll never notice that.  We have so much to do this year, let’s get started….

This what you’re going to need:

Two 7oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 cup of orange juice ( I mixed orange, tangerine and clementine (just ’cause I had them, use whatever you have)
1/4 cup of red grapefruit juice
1 medium shallot, finely diced
1 tablespoon of finely sliced fresh sage
1 to 2 tablespoons of cold butter
2 tablespoons of cream sherry
1-1/2 tablespoons of oil
segments of 1 orange and 1/2 red grapefruit

Do all your prep work first. And have your side dishes finishing up or warming as the sauce starts. I love this with jasmine rice and bitter broccoli. Juice your fruit, have the shallots diced, sage sliced, and the segments ready.

Slice the chicken horizontally in half. Put your hand flat on top of the breast, holding your knife parallel to the cutting board and your hand start at the thickest end and slice through to the small end. You’ll be able to feel the knife moving under your hand, press firmly, and slice slowly. When you have four pieces, season with salt and pepper.
Put 1 tablespoon of oil in a non stick skillet and heat to medium high. Sear the chicken about 4 minutes on one side and 2 to 3 on the flip side. You want a golden color, but depending on how thick your pieces are you’ll need to watch and adjust as it cooks. Cook in two batches, and add the other 1/2 tablespoon of oil if needed.

Put the cooked breasts in a plate or bowl until you’re ready to put them in the sauce. Don’t forget to put any juices that accumulate in the sauce as well, there’s great flavor in there.

Turn the heat to medium. In the oil that’s left from browning the chicken (or add 1/2 tablespoon) cook the shallots until softened and just starting to color, stirring often to prevent over browning. if you feel like they’re cooking to quickly, move the skillet off the heat for a minute and move back on when it starts to cool. I have an electric stove so I find this technique works more quickly than the burners do. When they start to color, add all the juice, and the sherry. Adjusting your heat as necessary, cook at a simmer until the juice is reduced by half. Taste, taste, taste! At this point you’ll want to add some salt, start with 1/2 teaspoon. The salt will help balance the sweetness. Taste, is the sauce too sweet for you? Then add more acidity, a splash of fresh lemon will bump the acidity up and clear any muddled taste. A bit of sherry vinegar would also work well. Is it too sour for you? A bit of honey works here. This is the point where you get all creative and chef-y. Adding ingredients, thoughtfully, until the sauce is perfect for you. Reduce it by another 1/4 cup, taste and adjust accordingly. Add 1 tablespoon of cold butter and whisk until melted, add the chicken and orange and grapefruit segments and heat until just warmed through. Voila! Citrus sherry sauce.

You guys, it’s so good to be back! I hope you enjoy this recipe and belatedly, let me wish all of you a very happy new year!