Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Capers

This weeknight recipe was originally developed by Pierre Franey in 1991 for the 60-Minute Gourmet column, a weekly feature dedicated to Times-worthy dishes that were easy, quick and inexpensive. This recipe fit the bill perfectly, and it still does. Just sauté the chicken breasts until they are lightly browned. Then add shallots and garlic, tarragon, tomatoes, vinegar, capers, white wine and tomato paste. Stir well and cook for about 9 minutes more. That's it.

Makes: 4 servings
Time to cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients

·  4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2¼ pounds)

·  Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

·  2 tablespoons olive oil

·  2 tablespoons butter

·  6 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

·  2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

·  4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon

·  8 ripe plum tomatoes cut into small cubes (or one 28-ounce can of tomatoes, drained and chopped)

·  ¼ cup red wine vinegar

·  ¼ cup drained capers

·  1 cup dry white wine

·  2 tablespoons tomato paste

·  ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Cooking Instructions

1. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add the chicken breasts and saute over medium-high heat, turning the pieces often until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the shallots and garlic around the chicken. Cook briefly; add the tarragon, tomatoes, vinegar, capers, wine and tomato paste. Stir to dissolve the brown particles adhering to the bottom of the skillet.

3. Blend well, bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 9 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Nutrition per serving
530 calories; 20 grams fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 15 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 60 grams protein; 6 grams sugar; 1185 milligrams sodium

Recipe by Pierre Franey, NY Times Cooking  

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