Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Sweet-Tart Red Wine Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 13, 2011
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes brining
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Chicken
1 cup kosher salt (or ½ cup table salt)2 whole bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts about 1 ½ pounds each, prepared according to illustrationsGround black pepper 1 teaspoon vegetable oilSweet-Tart Red Wine Sauce
1 large shallot, minced (about 4 tablespoons)¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth ¼ cup red wine vinegar ¼ cup red wine 1 tablespoon granulated sugar ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper 1 bay leaf 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 piecesSalt and ground black pepperBefore You Begin
We prefer to split whole chicken breasts ourselves because store-bought split chicken breasts are often sloppily butchered. However, if you prefer to purchase split chicken breasts, try to choose 10- to 12-ounce pieces with skin intact. If split breasts are of different sizes, check the smaller ones a few minutes early to see if they are cooking more quickly, and remove them from the skillet if they are done ahead. This sauce is a variation on the Italian sweet-sour combination called agrodolce.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt in 2 quarts cold tap water in large container or bowl; submerge chicken in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Rinse chicken pieces under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with pepper.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke; swirl skillet to coat with oil. Brown chicken skin-side down until deep golden, about 5 minutes; turn chicken pieces and brown until golden on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Turn chicken skin-side down and place skillet in oven. Roast until juices run clear when chicken is cut with paring knife, or thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, and let rest while making sauce. (If not making sauce, let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.)
- Using potholder to protect hands from hot skillet handle, pour off most of fat from skillet; add shallot, then set skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until shallot is softened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add chicken broth, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, red wine, red wine vinegar, and bay; increase heat to high and simmer rapidly, scraping skillet bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour accumulated chicken juices into skillet, reduce heat to medium, and whisk in butter 1 piece at a time; season to taste with salt and pepper and discard bay. Spoon sauce around chicken breasts and serve immediately.
Time
1 hour, plus 30 minutes briningYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Chicken
Sweet-Tart Red Wine Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Sweet-Tart Red Wine Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Chicken
Sweet-Tart Red Wine Sauce
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
To develop a bone-in chicken breast recipe that would produce moist, tender, and crisp-skinned breasts, we turned to pan-roasting, a restaurant technique in which food is browned in a skillet on the stovetop and then slid, skillet and all, into a hot oven to finish cooking. We brined the breasts first for moist and better-seasoned chicken. After cooking the chicken at 450 degrees for crisp skin, we used the caramelized drippings, or fond, left in the pan to make a quick and flavorful sauce for our bone-in chicken breast recipe.
Before You Begin
We prefer to split whole chicken breasts ourselves because store-bought split chicken breasts are often sloppily butchered. However, if you prefer to purchase split chicken breasts, try to choose 10- to 12-ounce pieces with skin intact. If split breasts are of different sizes, check the smaller ones a few minutes early to see if they are cooking more quickly, and remove them from the skillet if they are done ahead. This sauce is a variation on the Italian sweet-sour combination called agrodolce.
Instructions
- Dissolve salt in 2 quarts cold tap water in large container or bowl; submerge chicken in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Rinse chicken pieces under running water and pat dry with paper towels. Season chicken with pepper.
- Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 450 degrees.
- Heat oil in heavy-bottomed 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until beginning to smoke; swirl skillet to coat with oil. Brown chicken skin-side down until deep golden, about 5 minutes; turn chicken pieces and brown until golden on second side, about 3 minutes longer. Turn chicken skin-side down and place skillet in oven. Roast until juices run clear when chicken is cut with paring knife, or thickest part of breast registers 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer chicken to platter, and let rest while making sauce. (If not making sauce, let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.)
- Using potholder to protect hands from hot skillet handle, pour off most of fat from skillet; add shallot, then set skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently, until shallot is softened, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add chicken broth, sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper, red wine, red wine vinegar, and bay; increase heat to high and simmer rapidly, scraping skillet bottom with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 5 minutes. Pour accumulated chicken juices into skillet, reduce heat to medium, and whisk in butter 1 piece at a time; season to taste with salt and pepper and discard bay. Spoon sauce around chicken breasts and serve immediately.
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