Chicken Breast With Prunes And Sage

Prep time 10 min Cook time 25 min
I love the way Moroccan cuisine uses fruit with meat dishes. This recipe takes its cues from plump dried prunes scented with sage in a creamy sauce.

The secret to this dish is a good tasty stock and a good wine. Short of homemade stock there are very good organic brands on the market. Since you only need half a cup ( for two portions) you may want to consider buying a jar of Better Than Bouillon chicken stock. It is a paste made from real roasted chicken and a quarter teaspoonful in a half a cup of hot water will give you a rich and natural tasting base for your all your sauces.

You will also need to avoid overcooking the chicken breast so timing is important. Depending on your oven, cooking time at 400°F is usually around 15-20 minutes. I would err on the safer side and check the chicken after 15 minutes. The internal temperature should read 160°F with a thermometer and juices should run clear. Remember, the chicken will continue to cook while you plate it and you can always cook it a little longer in the sauce if you need to.

What you need

1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs of finely chopped shallots
1 Tsp all purpose flour
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
6 prunes, pitted and sliced
1 Tbs oil
1/4 white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped sage
1/4 cup heavy cream
Salt to taste

What to do

Heat the oven to 400°F with a rack in the middle position.

Prepare and cook the chicken

Pat the chicken dry and rub with a little salt and pepper.

Prepare two foil wraps for each breast. Drizzle a little oil in each, add the slices of one lemon in each pouch, add a sprig of fresh sage and loosely wrap each breast in a foil “tent”.

Transfer the chicken to the oven and let it bake until it registers 160°F on an instant-read thermometer. Start checking after 15 minutes; total cooking time is usually 15 to 20 minutes.

The Sauce

While the chicken is cooking, sweat the onions in a tablespoon of unsalted butter over a medium/low heat until soft and translucent – about 2 minutes.

Add a teaspoon of all-purpose flour and mix well.

Remove from heat add the bay leaf and slowly add the wine and stock stirring vigorously until the flour has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly.

Just before serving, add the cream, chopped sage and prunes and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens slightly. Salt to taste

Serve the breast sliced with the creamy prune sauce over it.