Cider Bacon Chicken
Dinner in 35 Minutes
- Course: Main Course
- Features: Fast, Healthy
Summary:
This dish calls for ingredients that shouldn't cause problems for people who cannot tolerate gluten. But as those people have learned, chicken broth and bacon can come in contact with wheat products or nitrites during manufacturing or packaging. To ensure that the dish remains gluten-free, choose brands that are designated gluten-free; see recommendations in the ingredient list below.
Of course, if gluten-free cuisine is not an issue for you, you can make this recipe using any good-quality broth or bacon.
This dish also can be made with salmon instead of chicken, in which case you would not pound the fillets.
Serve with steamed broccoli. Wine columnist Dave McIntyre suggests serving the dish with a glass of Riesling.
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 4 boneless skinlesss chicken breast halves (1 1/4 pounds total)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 medium onion
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 strips uncooked gluten-free bacon, such as Hormel Thick-Cut or Oscar Meyer Thick Cut, Center Cut and Lower-Sodium brands
- 1 cup gluten-free chicken broth, such as Trader Joe's Gluten-Free or Swanson's brand (not Swanson's Organic)
- 1 cup apple cider
- 2 teaspoons light brown sugar
Directions:
Trim any excess fat from the chicken breast halves, then place each one between sheets of plastic wrap. Use a meat mallet to pound them to a thickness of 1/2 inch, then trim each piece to neaten the edges. (Save the scraps for another use, if desired.) Season lightly on both sides with salt and pepper. Cut the onion into small dice.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 of the flattened breast halves and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until browned, then turn them over and cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned on the second side. Transfer to a plate and repeat, starting with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
Line a plate with a few layers of paper towels. Heat a separate skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until crisp, then transfer to the paper-towel-lined plate to drain. Crumble the bacon when cooled.
Add the onion to the same skillet used to cook the bacon, stirring to coat it in the drippings. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the onion has softened, then add the broth, cider and brown sugar, stirring to combine. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce has reduced slightly and darkened in color. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as needed (keeping in mind that the bacon will be added to the finished dish).
Add the chicken and turn to coat in the sauce. Add the crumbled bacon; divide among individual plates and serve hot.
Recipe Source:
Adapted from “Artisanal Gluten-Free Cooking,” by Kelli Bronski and Peter Bronski (The Experiment, 2009).
E-mail the Food Section with recipe questions.
(Julia Ewan - The Washington Post; Tableware From Crate & Barrel)
