Chicken with thyme cream

Ingredients

• 1 kg chicken breast
• neutral oil e.g. grapeseed, for frying
• 25g butter
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/3 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups cream
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves

Steps

Remove the chicken from the fridge 30-60 minutes before cooking. Pat the chick dry with paper towels. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, being quite generous.

Heat 1-2 tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan over a fairly high heat. When very hot, add the chicken (skin-side down if it has skin). You may need to do this in two batches – don’t crowd the pan or the chick might start stewing.

Leave the chicken to fry without turning until it has turned a deep golden brown colour on one side. Turn over and brown the other side. You can turn the chick back over a couple of times to get it looking browner and crispier. Also, the more crusty brown stuff that builds up in the bottom of the pan, the better.

When both sides of the chicken are lovely and brown, set aside on a plate or roasting tray.

Tip any excess oil from the pan and replace over a medium heat. Add the butter and garlic and switch it around for 30 seconds. Add the wine, increase the heat to high, and let it bubble rapidly for about 30-60 seconds to evaporate the alcohol – it should reduce by about half.

Stir in the cream and thyme, then add the chicken and any resting juices. Reduce the heat to medium-high and let everything simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced down to a nice consistency – not too thick; it’s quite a rich sauce. If it becomes too thick, simply add more cream and simmer again until you’re happy with it. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve with streamed greens and mash, new potatoes, pasta, bulghur wheat or rice.

Source

Eat, Chelsea Winter