This main comes together in no time and the ingredients, as you will see, are easy to adapt - not only to dietary considerations but also to what you happen to have on hand. Not feeling the chicken? Turkey, pork, or veal cutlets seamlessly slide in as the perfect understudy. Add your favorite sides and it doesn’t just become a fast, flexible meal any day of the week, it’s an impressive dish for guests leaving plenty of time for visiting. What flavor will you try first?

Servings: 6 - 8 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Skill level: Easy

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Tablespoon BUTTER, plus extra to taste

• OLIVE OIL, if using

• 1 SHALLOT >or< 1/2 ONION, diced

• 2 - 2 1/2 pounds thin sliced, boneless CHICKEN BREASTS >or< other choice of meat

• SALT

• PEPPER

• GARLIC POWDER

• ONION POWDER

• 1/3 - 1/2 cup dusting medium such as FLOUR, GLUTEN FREE FLOUR, ARROWROOT POWDER, POTATO STARCH

• 1/2 cup PRESERVES such as fig, apricot, orange, pineapple, lemon, or blueberry

• 1 cup BROTH of choice >or< filtered WATER >or< WINE (red or white)

  • IMPORTANT: OMIT NEXT STEP if using wine

• 2 Tablespoons APPLE CIDER VINEGAR >or< BALSAMIC VINEGAR >or< RED WINE VINEGAR >or< red or white WINE

DIRECTIONS

1. Finely chop onion or shallot.

2. Lightly season chicken or pork with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powders. Place in ziploc bag. Add enough dusting medium to lightly coat and toss to evenly cover. Set aside.

3. Heat 2-3 Tablespoons of butter or olive oil or a combination in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

4. Add meat and lightly brown on both sides. This will go quickly, about 2-3 minutes per side. It is not necessary to cook the meat all the way through. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.

5. Add chopped onion or shallot to the same skillet, adjusting the temperature to medium. Add additional butter or olive oil if the pan is lacking. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened - about 2 minutes.

6. Add broth (or water or wine), preserves, vinegar and simmer, scraping the bottom to release the brown bits and deglaze the pan, and until the volume reduces to about 1/2 and the sauce slightly thickens - about 5-7 minutes.

7. Lower the heat and add 1 Tablespoon of butter.

8. Return the chicken to the pan along with any juices accumulated from resting. Cook over low heat, carefully turning the meat at least once, to coat. Simmer until meat is cooked through (take care not to overcook!) and promptly remove from direct heat. Keep warm until ready to serve.

9. Refrigerate any leftovers.

NOTES/VARIATIONS

• Substitute any boneless poultry such as turkey or duck; pork or veal cutlets could also be delicious!

• Thin sliced chicken breasts (or any cut of meat used in this recipe) means the meat is cut in half horizontally, not vertically, creating a thin piece of meat.

• Select and prepare side dishes all or most of the way before starting the meat on the stove, as it comes together quickly. You can easily keep the side dishes warm until ready to serve. Suggestions include:

  • hot veggies such as green beans, peas, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, carrots. Cook on the stove, steamed, or roasted in the oven. Toss with olive oil or butter and season to taste with salt.

  • small tossed salad or cucumbers tossed with homemade ROBUST & ZESTY ITALIAN DRESSING.

  • rice, cornmeal/polenta, hot cereal of choice (such as grits), potatoes prepared your favorite way, pasta/egg noodles (gluten free, if needed), buckwheat, or quinoa.

• If you want to make an extra special presentation, match fresh fruit to the preserves to be used for garnish. For instance, if you have a blueberry-lemon preserve, top with fresh blueberries and lemon zest just before serving. Same applies to orange marmalade and fresh oranges. You get the idea!

• Don’t have preserves? Don’t sweat it. Jam works deliciously in a pinch. If you notice your jam consistency is a little thin or the flavor isn’t as intense as it would be with preserves, reduce the water called for in the recipe by up to half and increase the jam by up to half.

• Want to spice it up a bit? Try red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, wasabi powder, or curry, which will add depth and personality to the sauce. Use a light hand as a little goes a long way, starting with 1/8 teaspoon and dialing it up incrementally to suit your palate.

• As articulated in the What’s for Dinner article, always aim for the highest quality ingredients.

CREDITS/REFERENCES
Thumbnail photo credit: Original, untouched photo can be found here: Once Upon a Plate

The original inspiration for this recipe came from https://marleyspoon.com/. I since adapted it to fit tastes, allow for dietary considerations, and a larger serving size.