Ingredients
- Pan Seared Chicken
- 4 skin-on boneless chicken
breasts
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper to taste - Roasted Tomato Salsa
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 plum tomatoes, halved
- 1 Poblano pepper
- 1 Serrano pepper
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ yellow onion
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper
Method
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat until fully heated.
Add oil to the pan and coat the bottom of the pan.
Season each breast and sear on the skin side until a deep brown crust has formed. It is important not to move the chicken around during the sear phase.
Flip the chicken over and sear the second side.
Top each breast with the garlic and thyme and add the butter to the pan. The butter will melt and foam. Using a spoon baste the breasts with the melted butter so the garlic and thyme can cook.
Method
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Rub the tomatoes with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper and place cut-side up on a baking sheet.
Place the onions, garlic and peppers on the same tray as the tomatoes.
Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until soft.
Put roasted vegetables and the remaining ingredients into a blender and blend on pulse until smooth.
Serve over pan seared chicken breast.
Tips on Tomatoes
- A good serrated knife is far superior to a flat-edged knife for slicing tomatoes. If you use a flat-edged knife, be certain it is very sharp or you will squash and bruise the tomato flesh when slicing.
- Do not use an aluminum pot, pan or utensil when cooking tomatoes. The acid in the tomato reacts unfavorably with the aluminum and can pit and discolor the aluminum cookware.
- The high acid content of tomatoes naturally slow down the cooking process of some other foods. For example, beans cooked with tomatoes may take up to twenty percent more cooking time than without.
- Plum tomatoes are best used for sauces. Globe, cherry, and grape tomatoes are best for eating raw, although all varieties are good.
- Herbs that marry well with tomatoes include basil, oregano, marjoram, pepper, dill weed, thyme, garlic, bay leaf, celery seed, sesame seed, tarragon, chives, and parsley. If you happen to be the unfortunate victim of the wrong end of a skunk, tomato juice will neutralize butyl mercaptan, the prime ingredient in the stinky defensive spray.
