Sept Recipe - Sautéed Chicken Breast in an Herbed Wine & Caper Sauce

Classic Pairing: Pinot Grigio
Alternative Wine: Sauvignon blanc


The acidity of the white wine in this recipe replaces the lemon in a modified picante sauce.

• 2 Chicken breasts, boneless-skinless
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1/8 cup all purpose flour
• 1½ Tbsp olive oil
• 1 med shallot minced (3 Tbsp)
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• ½ cup Seyval, Pinot Grigio, or other high acid dry white wine (not Chardonnay)
• ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
• ¾ tsp dried tarragon
• 2 Tbsp capers, rinsed and drained
• 3 Tbsp milk
• 1½ tsp corn starch
• 1/3 cup minced fresh parsley

Pat the chicken breasts dry and salt and pepper to taste.  Dredge in flour and shake off the excess.  Sauté over med-high heat in the olive oil until the chicken is almost cooked through and the outside is lightly browned.  Remove and set aside.

Mix the cornstarch to the milk in a small bowl.  Stir until smooth and set aside.

Reduce the heat to medium.  Add the shallot to the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes, or until soft.  Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds.  Add the wine and the chicken broth to deglaze the pan and scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pan into the wine.  Add the tarragon and increase the heat to high.  Reduce to ½ cup while stirring constantly.  Reduce the heat to med-low.  Add the capers and stir. Stir the corn starch mixture again and add slowly until while stirring the sauce.  Return the chicken and any drippings to the pan.  Cook over low heat while stirring until the sauce is creamy and bubbly.

Add the parsley and stir.  Serve immediately over brown rice that has a little fresh grated parmesan or romano cheese stirred into it.

Serves 2 as an entrée.