Crispy Chicken Breasts with Sage and Gin
Course: DinnerCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: EasyServings
4
servingsPrep time
1
hourCooking time
40
minutesWOW!!! This is seriously one of the best chicken recipes and so good for a week day evening or goof enough for company. This does not disappoint. The leftovers are equally as amazing. The sauce and flavors are outstanding and it makes the house smell so good. I followed the recipe pretty closely but it did need to end up in the oven to really finish getting it the right texture and getting it crispy. This turned out so moist and the sauce was complimentary not over powering.
Ingredients
24 sage leaves
2 large skin on, boneless chicken breasts, have your butcher do this for you
6 garlic cloves
Fine sea salt and fresh ground pepper
6 Tablespoons olive oil, DIVIDED
3 Tablespoons cold salted butter
1/4 cup gin
3/4 cup chicken broth
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
Directions
- Rinse sage leaves and dry them thoroughly. DO NOT TRIM breasts of skin. Pound the breasts so they are even in thickness.
- Place the breasts in a large baking dish and add garlic cloves, 3 Tablespoons oil, 12 sage leaves torn, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper. Turn to coat the breasts and then let rest skin side up with some garlic and sage leaves on top. Cover and refrigerate 1-6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 400. Heat 3 Tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a very large, heavy, oven proof pan over medium low heat. When the butter melts, add the remaining 12 safe leaves, and fry turning and flipping until lightly crispy. Remove from pan to sit on a paper towel.
- Turn up the heat to medium, and add the chicken, skin side down, along with all the garlic and sage. Cook the chicken slowly but steadily, lowering the heat if the garlic starts to burn. You want the skin to become golden and crispy. After about 20-25 minutes, flip the chicken and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes. If garlic, is starting to burn, remove from pan and save for sauce.
- Once chicken is done, carefully remove pan from oven and set chicken on a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil. Place the pan on the stove over medium low heat, add the gin. Scraping up any browned bits and flavors from the bottom of the pan. After about 30-60 seconds, add the broth and cook, scraping more. If you removed the garlic, add it back to the pan and allow sauce to reduce by half. Add the lemon juice and cold butter, swirl pan to emulsify sauce, season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Slice each breast crosswise to not destroy the skin. Serve the chicken with some sage and garlic and the sauce AROUND rather than on top so the skin stays crispy. Top with crispy sage leaves.
- Serve with rice or couscous and roasted cauliflower or green beans.
