The first time I ever had a dish with apricot preserves incorporated within the dish was when I ordered the Venetian apricot chicken from Olive Garden many years ago. I remember the flavor profile of the dish very well. It was a simple dish made with some apricot preserves, tomatoes, chicken broth, and some seasonings. Despite the simplicity of the dish, the flavors worked very well together. The apricot preserves provided a wonderful sweetness to the dish, while the tomatoes and chicken broth added a tang and a savory element. All of the flavors and ingredients worked very well together to form a simple chicken dish. A couple years ago, I started experimenting with apricot preserves in my own version of a chicken dish and came up with my apricot and chardonnay braised chicken with tomatoes. The wine in the dish reduced very well over medium heat and created a delicious glaze. I grew to love this simple yet satisfying dish. This week, I’ve been trying to make more quick meals because of the hot weather and summer classes I’m taking. The temperature has been hovering in the upper seventies and eighties and so I try to spend as little time as possible hovering over the stove. The two photography classes I’m taking require reading a lot of class material, watching demonstration videos, and completing assignments using photography software. During these busy times, I try to cook as many quick and easy meals as possible and steer clear of meals requiring prolong periods of time using the stove and oven. My apricot and chardonnay braised chicken with tomatoes is very easy to whip together and comes together in under 30 minutes. It has only been a week since Kevin and I returned back from our trip to Italy and we already miss the endless pasta, pizza, and gelato we’ve been consuming daily during our weeklong vacation. We had a great honeymoon in Italy visiting historical sites, eating amazing food, and truly immersing ourselves in the culture. One of the highlights from our trip happened on the last full day of our trip. We signed up for a pasta making class and learned how to make basic pasta using flour, egg, and salt. The class was very approachable and easy to follow. I ended up applying the lessons I learned from the class and made some homemade fettucine sized pasta from scratch to serve with my apricot and chardonnay braised chicken with tomatoes. To round out the rest of the meal, I also made a basic potato salad using some fresh parsley, seasonings, olive oil, and red wine vinegar. The chicken, homemade pasta, and potato salad made for the perfect light dinner to serve on a hot day.
For the apricot and chardonnay braised chicken with tomatoes:
· ½ tablespoon olive oil
· 2 chicken breasts
· ½ teaspoon kosher salt
· ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
· ¼ cup apricot preserves
· ½ cup chardonnay wine
· 6-8 cherry tomatoes, in any color of your choice
· 6 sprigs fresh parsley, stems trimmed and finely chopped
Directions:
1) Heat a skillet on medium heat. Once hot, add ½ tablespoon olive oil and turn skillet to coat in olive oil. Add the chicken breasts to the skillet. Sprinkle the kosher salt and pepper directly onto the chicken breasts. Cook the chicken breasts on both sides for 3-5 minutes on each side until the chicken breasts develop a golden-brown exterior.
2) Add the apricot preserves, wine, and tomatoes into the skillet. Cook the chicken and tomatoes in the preserves and wine until the wine begins to reduce and a glaze begins to form, about 8-10 minutes. The tomatoes should also begin to soften and burst around this time.
3) Toss in the finely chopped parsley and continue cooking for another minute or two. Turn off the heat and let the chicken rest for a couple minutes before serving.
Takeaways: The chicken can be served alongside some roasted vegetables and/or rice. I served my apricot and chardonnay braised chicken with tomatoes and a side of homemade pasta and potato salad for a more substantial meal. If you are not a fan of cooking with wine, feel free to replace the wine with chicken broth.