Braised Chicken Breast with Caramelized Shallots and Sage

Step 1

Make the cutlets: Pat the chicken dry and slice each breast in half horizontally – you should end up with 4 thin breasts. Place each breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and pound to a 1/4-inch thickness using a meat tenderizer. Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt, black pepper, and dried oregano.

Step 2

Dredge the chicken: Add the flour to a wide, shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour on both sides. Shake off any excess flour and transfer to a plate.

Step 3

Pan fry the chicken: Set a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Once the butter has melted, but before it browns, place the flour-coated chicken into the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes on the first side, until golden brown. Turn the chicken over and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes or so more. Remove the chicken to a clean plate and cover with some foil to keep warm. At this point the chicken should have some nice color, but it will not be completely cooked.

Step 4

Make the pan sauce: Add the shallots to the pan and sauté until tender and caramelized, stirring occasionally, making sure to scrape up any bits left in the bottom of the pan from the chicken. (You may have to add a little more olive oil if the pan seems too dry.) Next add the garlic and the sage and cook for another minute or so. Add the tomato paste and stir to combine. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the wine to deglaze the pan. Turn the heat to high and bring the sauce to a vigorous simmer. Continue cooking until most of the wine has evaporated and the sauce has reduced and thickened a little.

Step 5

Finish cooking the chicken: Add the chicken to the pan along with any juices that might have collected on the plate. Pour the heated chicken stock over the chicken and add the bay leaves (the idea behind warming the stock is that, when added to the pan, it will not stop the simmering of the other liquids). Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pan partially with a lid, and braise the chicken for about 20 to 25 minutes (depending on the thickness of the chicken), turning it a couple of times to coat it in the sauce. If necessary, add some more warm chicken stock to the pan.

Step 6

Finish the sauce and serve: Once the sauce has reduced slightly, remove the lid and add the lemon juice, and remaining tablespoon of butter, and stir well to combine. Uncover and remove from heat. Let rest for 5 minutes. Place the chicken on a plate and spoon over some of the lovely shallot sage sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning and serve at once.