Chicken Breasts With Tomatoes and Capers
Published December 15, 2015
Jim Wilson/The New York Times
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 ¼ pounds)
Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons finely chopped shallots
2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic
4 teaspoons finely chopped fresh tarragon, or 2 teaspoons dried tarragon
8 ripe plum tomatoes cut into small cubes (or one 28-ounce can of tomatoes, drained and chopped)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
¼ cup drained capers
1 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
15 grams carbs; 202 milligrams cholesterol; 530 calories; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 20 grams fat; 4 grams fiber; 1185 milligrams sodium; 60 grams protein; 6 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
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.
- Step 2
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.
- Step 3
Blend well, bring to a boil, and then cover and simmer for 9 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Private Notes
Comments
I've made this dish a few times now. First time I made it with fresh tomatoes and left out the tomato paste because I didn't have any, it was fantastic. Last time I added the tomato paste and didn't like it as much, the sauce was too acidic with an almost metallic taste.
Fresh or canned tomatoes will create a lot of juice, so, I took the chicken breasts out of the pan after browning, made the sauce, simmered until thickened, then added the chicken breasts back to pan to finish.
I love that NYT Cooking is resurrecting old classic recipes. 60 Minute Gourmet was one of my first cookbooks when I moved to NYC. Made this after having forgotten about it for years.
Some changes I made while making this dish: After browning the chicken breasts I removed them from the pan and set aside, made the sauce and cooked down for a bit to thicken, then added the chicken breasts back to sauce to finish. Chicken stayed juicy. Also added some black olives. Just delicious!
I'm puzzled too. You can tell from the ingredients that this isn't a standard "red sauce." Capers, a lot of vinegar, wine, etc. It's intended to be sour! I simmered it longer to let the sauce thicken up a bit. It's a braise, so the chicken didn't dry out. I had planned to serve it with pasta, but after I tasted it I ruled that out (sour thin sauces aren't the best for pasta). So I quickly boiled some mini potatoes (potatoes love vinegar!) and they went really well together.
Delish, made recipe as described.
Absolutely delicious. As others have noted, I also suggest taking the chicken breasts out of the pan after browning, sauteing the shallots and garlic, and then adding all the other ingredients to let them all come together for about 5 minutes before putting the chicken back in to finish cooking for another 7-9 mins depending on the thickness of the chicken breasts!! Loved this.
Followed the recipe, with the exception of leaving out the red wine vinegar. Took the chicken out when it was almost done. Returned it to the sauce [cut up] when it had cooked down; along with some penne pasta. Very delicious for an easy recipe made from ingredients I already had in the pantry/refrigerator.