Chicken with Lemon-Butter Sauce December 19, 2009

This one’s super easy and quick.  Perfect for a night that you don’t have much time!  I found it in Martha Stewart Living, January 2010.

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken breasts
• Salt
• Pepper
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Unsalted butter
• 1/4 Minced shallot
• 2 lemons (Note: I only used 1 and it was still very lemony)
• 3/4 Cup low-sodium chicken broth (Note: I used regular, not low sodium)

Directions:

1. Put breasts into ziploc bag and seal.  Pound breasts until they’re approximately 1/4″ thick.
2. Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until butter foams.
4. Add 2 breasts (Note: 1 put all 4 in at once), and saute on 1 side until golden brown, about 2 minutes.
5. Reduce heat to medium.  Flip and saute breasts until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
6. Transfer to a plate.  Raise heat to medium-high, and repeat with remaining breasts (if cooking in 2 batches).
7. Add 1/4 Cup minced or sliced shallot to skillet and cook over medium-high heat, adding oil or butter as needed, stirring often, until golden – about 1 minute.
8. Raise heat to medium-high.  Add segments and juice of 2 lemons (Note: I only used one and it was right on the cusp of being too lemony for me…any more would’ve been overkill), 3/4 Cup chicken stock, and any plate juices, and deglaze the pan, scraping brown bits from bottom with a wooden spoon.
9. Simmer until sauce reduces by half, about 3 minutes.
10. Gradually stir in 2-3 Tbsp. of cold, unsalted butter (cut into small pieces) until just melted.
11. Season to taste.

This was fantastic, served over baby spinach!

* Also try this with mushrooms, garlic, capers, Dijon mustard, tarragon, parsley and chives.  Try deglazing the pan with white wine or vermouth.