Pierre Franey’s Chicken Breasts With Tomatoes and Capers

Chef Franey developed this great recipe in 1991 for the 60 minute Gourmet column in the New York Times. You simply saute the chicken until lightly browned and then add the rest of the ingredients to the pan, stir and cook 9 minutes more -that’s it! Dinner was ready in no time with ingredients that I mostly had on hand. There was so much wonderful sauce that I cooked up some penne pasta to toss in it. I can see why this dish is still making the rounds…

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 2 1/4 pounds
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 Tbs. olive oil
2 Tbs. butter
6 Tbs. finely chopped shallots
2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
4 tsp. finely chopped fresh tarragon, or 2 tsp. dried
8 ripe plum tomatoes cut into small cubes (or one 28-ounce can of tomatoes, drained and chopped)
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup drained capers
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbs. tomato paste
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-bottom skillet. Add the chicken breasts and saute over medium-high heat, turning the pieces often until lightly browned, about 5 minutes.

Add the shallots and garlic around the chicken. Cook briefly; add the tarragon, tomatoes, vinegar, capers, wine and tomato paste. Stir to dissolve the brown particles adhering to the bottom of the skillet. Blend well; bring to a boil; cover and simmer 9 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. Serves 4.