October 13: Golden Raisin and Almond Chicken

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
4 ounces sliced or slivered almonds
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated or ground nutmeg
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
   Green salad
   Boiled baby potatoes

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Season the chicken liberally with half of the thyme and salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Toast the nuts in a small skillet over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon butter to the toasted nuts; melt and toss to coat. Add the chives and toss to combine.

Return the chicken skillet to the burner over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of EVOO, and add the onions, celery, red pepper flakes, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the celery and onions are tender. Add the white wine and cook until the pan is almost dry, 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, raisins, and remaining thyme and continue to cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until there is only about 1/4 cup of liquid left in the pan. Turn the heat off under the pan. Add the remaining butter and whisk until it has completely melted.

Serve the chicken breasts whole or sliced with cherry sauce poured over them. Serve the salad and potatoes alongside.

4 SERVINGS

This is the 1st variation on the Tangy Cherry Chicken. I changed the fresh thyme to dried and I added the salad and potatoes to the ingredient list. I liked the cherry sauce better, but this was ok too. I did really like the almonds. For the cherry chicken, I cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise, so it really did take about 5 minutes on each side to cook. With this recipe, I used whole chicken breasts, so I had to cook them for about 10 minutes on each side (at least). They finally got done in the middle, but they were terribly burnt on the outside. That's part of what made this recipe not so good.