CHICKEN SAUTÉ WITH ROSEMARY — The Kitchen Scholar

SOURCE: PIERRE FRANEY. THE NEW YORK TIMES 60-MINUTE GOURMET

“Don’t spend all evening in the kitchen!” That was the cardinal and thematic commandment when The 60-Minute Gourmet column debuted in The New York Times on November 10, 1976 and regularly ran in its “Living Section” pages until the end of 1993. Unde… — “Don’t spend all evening in the kitchen!” That was the cardinal and thematic commandment when ***The 60-Minute Gourmet*** column debuted in ***The New York Times*** on November 10, 1976 and regularly ran in its “Living Section” pages until the end of 1993. Under this 17-year persona, Pierre Franey focused on brilliant and consummate home-cooked meals that can be prepared within an hour or less, improvising on French classics in its first serial cookbook and injecting wide-ranging flavors and ingredients from other countries in the follow-up compilation. The first volume opens with a rudimentary and straightforward recipe for sautéed chicken with its natural aromatic mate, rosemary. For a sweeter and more pleasant taste, use fresh rosemary leaves over the dried ones.

Ingredients

3 pounds/1.4 kg serving pieces of chicken

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 tablespoons/45 grams butter

1 teaspoon/1 gram finely chopped rosemary leaves, preferably picked fresh on the same day for best results

1 tablespoon/10 grams finely chopped shallots

OPTIONAL: 2 tablespoons/25 grams peeled, juiced, seeded and diced tomatoes

2 tablespoons/30 mL dry white wine

1/2 cup/120 mL chicken broth or stock

OPTIONAL: Fresh rosemary leaves and/or chiffonade of fresh basil leaves for garnish

Specific Equipment

Wide-bottomed nonstick sauté pan OR skillet

Serves 4

Instructions

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper.

2. Melt 2 tablespoons/30 grams butter in a sauté pan or skillet over medium heat, Lay the chicken pieces, skin side down and cook for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

3. Turn over the chicken pieces on the other side and sprinkle the chopped rosemary. Cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, occasionally turning over the chicken pieces and basting them frequently.

4. Remove the chicken pieces and arrange them on a serving platter or divide them to equal portions on individual serving plates. Set aside on a warm place.

5. Skim off the fat from the sauté pan or skillet, and return to the stovetop over medium heat. Sauté in the shallots. Stir in the tomatoes, if desired. Cook briefly for 1 minute. Pour in the wine to deglaze the sauté pan or skillet and reduce the liquid to half its volume over medium-high heat.

6. Pour in the chicken broth or stock and simmer for 1 minute, constantly stirring until well-blended. Reduce the sauce to half its volume and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon/15 grams butter. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with rosemary and basil leaves, if desired.