Garlic Chicken

Makes 3 servings of chicken and about 1 cup of sauce.

What tastes better than chicken breasts smothered in a robe of sweet garlic? This recipe had two inspirations. The first was a meal I had at Olive Garden. My second inspiration was a meal that my mother used to make, bless her soul. While my mother was a great cook, her chicken recipe came from the back of the cream of mushroom soup – the chicken was dry and tough and it was swimming in a sea of cream. You’ll want to serve this to company, it’s much better than what I have ever had.

3 Boneless Chicken Breasts - split

1 TBS Salt

1 Qt Water

10 cloves Garlic Confitt*

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil (from the Garlic Confitt if available)

Salt & Pepper to taste

¼ C Dry White Wine

1 C Chicken Broth

2 TBS Corn Starch

¼ C Water

Brine the Chicken

Brining makes the chicken juicier and prevents it from drying out.  Split the boneless chicken breasts in half so that they are thin. Many stores will sell the chicken presliced. Place the 1 TBS salt and the 1 Qt water in a bowl and stir until the salt is dissolved.  Add the chicken, cover and place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.

Cook the Chicken

Preheat oven to 350°. Place the cloves of garlic confitt and the 2 TBS olive oil in a blender and blend until smooth.  Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry with paper towels. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken.  Place the garlic and olive oil in a blender and process until smooth. Brush the chicken with the garlic oil.  Heat a large skillet over medium high heat.  Carefully place the chicken in the hot skillet and cook until it turns light brown. You do not want to cook it all the way or it will dry out and become tough.  Please the chicken is an oven proof baking dish and bake it for 10 minute or the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165° using an instant read thermometer.

Make the Sauce

While the chicken is baking deglaze the pan by adding the wine to the hot pan and scrape up any brown bits that have formed.  Add the chicken broth and bring to a simmer.  Mix the corn starch with the 2 TBS water in a glass.  While stirring the sauce, slowly add the corn starch slurry and continue stirring until it thickens.  Serve immediately over the chicken.

Do you have to Brine the Chicken?

Why bother with the brining step? Is it worth the time? The answer is a resounding yes if you like your chicken tender and moist.  The brining forces salt and water into the chicken which adds flavor and keeps the chicken moist while cooking.  This is especially important if you are frying the chicken like we did in this recipe.

* PRONTO SUBSTITUTE

Garlic Confitt – To prepare Garlic Confitt go to Garlic Confitt or substitute 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic. The Garlic Confit will have a sweeter taste and is worth the effort.

To print a copy of this recipe go to Garlic Chicken.