In my endless search to do something new with ordinary chicken breasts, I tried this recipe that I have been procrastinating about since I clipped it out some 15 years ago (actually it just got stuck in the back of a folder and forgotten about, but the procrastination thing makes for a better story!) The good news is that it's absolutely delicious and while I may have deprived my family of that deliciousness for the last 15 years, I am making up for it now, as I've made it three times in the last three weeks! 

What I love about this dish is that it's simple, yet somehow elegant-- easy enough to make for a weeknight meal, but elegant enough to serve at a fancy party as well.  The combination of fresh tomatoes, shallots, cream and dry white wine turn ordinary sauteed chicken breasts into something new, which is a pretty tough thing to do these days!!

You start by browning thin-slice cutlets in a little olive oil and butter. Then you saute some shallots, adding wine, cream, tomatoes and a little bit of a bouillon cube in the process. To finish things off, you add the chicken back in, let it simmer until fully cooked through for another 8-10 minutes and dinner is served!

It's easy and light with a wonderfully flavorful sauce that must be mopped up with rice or potatoes or a good piece of crusty bread! And just when you thought you couldn't do anything new with chicken...

Chicken with Tomatoes in Light Cream Sauce

Makes 4 servings

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• About 1 1/2 lbs thin sliced chicken cutlets (if you use thicker ones, try to pound them thinner or cut them in half so that they're about 1/3 inch thick)

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

• 1 shallot, finely chopped

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 3/4 cup heavy cream

• 4-5 plum tomatoes, roughly chopped

• 1/2 extra-large chicken-bouillon cube

• salt and pepper to taste

The Recipe

1.  Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the foam subsides and then add the chicken in 2 batches, cooking about 3-4 minutes per side, until chicken begins to brown. Transfer to a plate when done.

2.  Add shallots to the pan and cook for about 1 minute, until tender. Then, add the wine and turn the heat up so that it boils, scraping the pan to break up the little brown bits that cling to the bottom. Let wine mixture cook until reduced by half. Turn heat down and stir in cream and tomatoes. Crush up bouillon cube half and add to mixture. Let simmer and stir often until tomatoes soften and begin to break up, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3.  Add back in partially cooked chicken, along with any juices that may have accumulated on the plate, and let simmer for another 5-7 minutes, until cooked through. Serve immediately.

4.  Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for several days. Reheat in a small casserole dish at 350ºF for 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

Note:  Recipe adapted from an old edition of Gourmet Magazine.