Chicken Thighs with Cherry Tomato Sauce
marinating cherry tomatoes
This is a dish that I make when I’m missing the long warm days of summer and those delicious homegrown tomatoes. It is surprising how good store-bought tomatoes can taste, considering you are eating them in January.
The trick is to slice them, marinate them, and serve them at room temperature. To do that you have to make the marinade a couple hours ahead. The good news is it takes only 10 minutes to make the raw tomato sauce, and only one bowl.
The original recipe calls for sliced turkey breast. If I can’t find it sliced, I buy a half turkey breast and slice it myself. You will have some smaller sized slices as you reach the breastbone, but you can throw the bones and bits of meat in the freezer for soup (which Lee Bailey, the author of this recipe suggests). If you don’t want to bother with that you can also substitute thin-cut boneless pork chops; I wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. Bailey’s inspiration for this recipe came from the dish Wiener schnitzel. Schnitzel, which is a popular dish in both Austria and Germany, is thinly pounded breaded veal or pork. Here however, I used the easiest and probably the most accessible protein of all: boneless chicken thighs. I think they are more flavorful than chicken breasts, and at this time of year frankly I’ve had enough turkey to last me for a while! If you flatten the thighs they cook more evenly; to do that, lay them flat between two pieces of plastic wrap and whack them a couple of times with a small cast-iron pan, or a mallet if you have one. Because the thighs are not sliced, I find it easier to coat them by putting the flour, 2 teaspoons of salt, and about 6 grinds of pepper in a large brown grocery bag, tossing in the pounded thighs, folding the top of the bag closed a couple times, and giving it a good shake. Check to see they are coated, then shake off the excess flour as you pull them out of the bag. Now dip them first into the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs, and cook them. They are delicious served with a green salad.
Adapted from Lee Bailey’s cookbook Good Parties
Serves 4
Marinade:
3 cups of cherry tomatoes halved
1/3 cup finely diced red onion
10 leaves of fresh basil cut into ribbons
½ cup olive oil
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
Chicken:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
2 eggs
1/2 cup white all-purpose flour
1 ½ lb. chicken thighs (pounded—see above)
Note:
The marinade is best made a couple of hours before you eat. It can be made ahead of time and kept in the fridge but take it out at least an hour before serving to let it come to room temperature.
Directions:
To make the marinade, place all the ingredients into a bowl and stir to combine. Let it sit on the counter and macerate for a couple hours. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
You can use the easier method for coating the chicken thighs in flour above or follow the directions below. Place two pieces of parchment paper on the counter with a plate in between. Sprinkle the flour over the parchment paper on the left. Crack the eggs on to the plate and beat them with a fork to break them up. Spread the breadcrumbs on the parchment paper to the right side of the plate.
In a large sauté pan heat the olive oil and butter over low heat. While the pan is heating up, coat the chicken all over with the flour, dip it in the egg, covering it completely with egg and then again with the breadcrumbs. Place it in the warm pan and turn up the heat to medium high.
Cook until golden, turning once, about 4 minutes a side. You might have to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Turn the oven on to 350°. As it warms up, place the chicken on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and put it into the oven.
As soon as the oven reaches 350° take the chicken out of the oven. Serve the chicken with the tomato marinade spooned over the top and a green salad on the side.
Yummy!