Cooking with Ease: Pan Seared Chicken or Duck

The entrée includes your choice of pan seared chicken or duck breast, and tasty herb rice.

Pan Seared Chicken or Duck Breast in Honey Apple Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons white wine vinegar
6 tablespoons honey
4 apples, Golden Delicious
1 cup white wine
2 cups chicken stock
Salt and white pepper
2 oz butter

Directions:

Start the sauce: Peel, core and slice one apple. In a medium saucepan on a low heat, boil vinegar and honey (gastric). Cook for about 5 minutes until the gastric caramelizes. At this point add the sliced apple, and deglaze with white wine. Stir with a wooden spatula and reduce liquid by cooking for two minutes. Add the veal stock and cook on low heat for 15 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper.

In the mean time prepare the chicken or duck breast: Make some crosswise cuts into the top of the chicken breast or into the fat of the duck breast. Season with salt and pepper and heat a frying pan and fry the chicken or duck breasts, skin sides down. Lower the heat; turn meat and cook gently until the breasts are tender. Remove the breasts from the pan and keep warm. Peel, core and cut the other apples into quarters. Place in the pan with the chicken or duck fat and cook the quartered apples until golden brown and reserve.

Pour excess fat from the pan; deglaze with 2 ounces of water by scraping the bottom of the pan to dissolve the chicken or duck juices. Strain into the apple sauce.

Finish the sauce: Away from the heat, stir in the cold butter until totally melted. Strain and press the apples to extract all the juice.

Serve: Slightly slice the breast diagonally, with a sharp knife. Place the sliced portions, shaping them like a fan. Arrange with the 3 quartered apples and top up with the honey apple sauce. Garnish with fresh herbs, such as fresh parsley, rosemary and oregano.

Note: Chicken breast or Peking duck breast will take about 7 minutes to cook medium rare.

(Recipe from Ana Larrauri-Rosato, Ana Personal Chef Service)

Herb Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped onion
1 cup uncooked long grain rice
3 Tbsp butter or margarine

Two cups of your favourite chicken broth (homemade or store bought)
½ tsp marjoram, oregano and salt

Directions:

Saute onion, rice and butter in pan for five minutes. Add the herbs, salt and chicken broth. Preheat oven. Put into covered casserole dish and bake for one hour at 350º.

If there are any leftovers this dish reheats well in the microwave. Just add a bit of water and enjoy.

(Recipe from Barbara Kennedy)

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