Lemon and Garlic Chicken With Cherry Tomatoes

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Lemon and Garlic Chicken With Cherry Tomatoes

By

Martha Rose Shulman

Lemon and Garlic Chicken With Cherry Tomatoes

This is a summery dish you can make any time of year since decent cherry tomatoes are available in the markets all year long. Boneless chicken breasts are marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and rosemary before pounding them. This makes them very flavorful, and a great savory contrast to the sweet tomato topping.

Yield

4

Time

1 hour

Rating

—

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced or puréed

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 heaped cups cherry tomatoes, about 3/4 pound

Pinch of sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or a gluten- free flour such as rice flour or corn flour

2 tablespoons grapeseed, sunflower or canola oil

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cut each chicken breast into 2 equal pieces (3 if they weigh 12 ounces or more) and place in the bowl. Stir together and refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 2

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. (Discard marinade.) Place two sheets of plastic wrap (1 large sheet if you have extra-wide wrap) on your work surface, overlapping slightly, to make 1 wide sheet, and brush lightly with olive oil. Place a piece of chicken in the middle of plastic sheet and brush lightly with oil. Cover the chicken with another wide layer of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the outside, pound chicken breast with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick. (Don’t pound too hard or you’ll tear the meat. If that happens, it won’t be the end of the world, you’ll just have a few pieces to cook.) Repeat with the remaining chicken breast pieces.

Step 3

Season the pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper on one side only. Dredge lightly in the flour on all sides (you will not use all of it) and tap the breasts to remove excess.

Step 4

Turn oven on low. Heat a wide, heavy skillet over high and add oil. When oil is hot, place one or two pieces of chicken in the pan, however many will fit without crowding. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until bottom is browned in spots. Turn over and brown other side, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Do not overcook or chicken will be dry.) Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. If there is more than a tablespoon of fat in the pan, pour some off into a jar or bowl.

Step 5

Turn heat on burner down to medium-high. Add wine to pan and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Add cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring often or tossing in the pan, until they begin to shrivel and burst. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook, tossing the tomatoes in the pan and stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until tomatoes have collapsed but are still intact. Top chicken breasts with the tomatoes, sprinkle with parsley and with Parmesan if using, and serve.

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Lemon and Garlic Chicken With Cherry Tomatoes

By

Martha Rose Shulman

This is a summery dish you can make any time of year since decent cherry tomatoes are available in the markets all year long. Boneless chicken breasts are marinated in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and rosemary before pounding them. This makes them very flavorful, and a great savory contrast to the sweet tomato topping.

Yield

4

Time

1 hour

Rating

—

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, minced or puréed

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

Salt and black pepper, to taste

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 heaped cups cherry tomatoes, about 3/4 pound

Pinch of sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or a gluten- free flour such as rice flour or corn flour

2 tablespoons grapeseed, sunflower or canola oil

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (optional)

Instructions

Step 1

Stir together the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Cut each chicken breast into 2 equal pieces (3 if they weigh 12 ounces or more) and place in the bowl. Stir together and refrigerate 15 to 30 minutes.

Step 2

Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry with paper towels. (Discard marinade.) Place two sheets of plastic wrap (1 large sheet if you have extra-wide wrap) on your work surface, overlapping slightly, to make 1 wide sheet, and brush lightly with olive oil. Place a piece of chicken in the middle of plastic sheet and brush lightly with oil. Cover the chicken with another wide layer of plastic wrap. Working from the center to the outside, pound chicken breast with the flat side of a meat tenderizer or rolling pin until about 1/4 inch thick. (Don’t pound too hard or you’ll tear the meat. If that happens, it won’t be the end of the world, you’ll just have a few pieces to cook.) Repeat with the remaining chicken breast pieces.

Step 3

Season the pounded chicken breasts with salt and pepper on one side only. Dredge lightly in the flour on all sides (you will not use all of it) and tap the breasts to remove excess.

Step 4

Turn oven on low. Heat a wide, heavy skillet over high and add oil. When oil is hot, place one or two pieces of chicken in the pan, however many will fit without crowding. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, until bottom is browned in spots. Turn over and brown other side, about 1 1/2 minutes. (Do not overcook or chicken will be dry.) Transfer to a platter or sheet pan and keep warm in the oven. If there is more than a tablespoon of fat in the pan, pour some off into a jar or bowl.

Step 5

Turn heat on burner down to medium-high. Add wine to pan and stir with a wooden spoon to deglaze. Add cherry tomatoes and cook, stirring often or tossing in the pan, until they begin to shrivel and burst. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste and continue to cook, tossing the tomatoes in the pan and stirring often, for 5 to 10 minutes, until tomatoes have collapsed but are still intact. Top chicken breasts with the tomatoes, sprinkle with parsley and with Parmesan if using, and serve.

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More from Summer

View All →

Stone Fruit Caprese

By Ali Slagle

A standout caprese starts with great fruit. You need ripe tomatoes to weep juices, which then mingle with grassy olive oil and milky cheese to make your dressing. Basil adds freshness, black pepper and flakes of sea salt add crunch, and that’s it, a perfect combination. But if the stone fruit options are looking better than the tomatoes at the market, you can use them instead. They’re similar in flavor to tomatoes, but need cajoling to relinquish their juices. By letting sliced fruit macerate with salt, sugar and lemon juice, their fruitiness becomes more electric and their juices pool on the plate. Start with fruit you can smell and pair it with equally quality ingredients. Caprese is more about shopping than cooking.

20 min

Tomatoes with Herbs and Almond Vinaigrette

By Dan Kluger

Juicy tomatoes are topped with fresh herbs and a nutty almond vinaigrette for a bright, elegant salad that’s simple enough for weeknights yet worthy of entertaining.

45 min

Fruit Salad

By Ali Slagle

A bit of sugar and lime makes a standout fruit salad: The duo accentuates fruit’s flavors and sweetness while creating a syrup to gloss the fruit. Massage lime zest into the sugar so its oils release, then stir mixed fruit with the lime sugar and some lime juice. Taste and tweak until the result is electric. You could also add chopped mint or basil, ground cinnamon or coriander, vanilla bean seeds, chile flakes or grated fresh ginger.

20 min

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By Shilpa Uskokovic

Tomato aguachile is a punchy, plant-based variation of traditional seafood aguachile or ceviche. A refreshing side to serve on a hot day.

Greek Salad

By Lidey Heuck

While diner-style Greek salads made with chopped romaine, crumbled feta and often grilled chicken have become ubiquitous in American restaurants, a traditional Greek salad, or horiatiki salata, is a simpler affair. An assembled salad of large-diced vegetables with Kalamata olives and sometimes capers, this salad has no greens at all, and the feta is served sliced on top of the salad rather than crumbled and tossed into it. A traditional Greek salad dressing usually consists of olive oil and red wine vinegar; this recipe adds garlic and oregano. To make the salad into a satisfying vegetarian main course, throw in a can of drained and rinsed chickpeas.

15 min

One-Pot Summer Vegetable Pasta

By Jesse Szewczyk

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