Soups & Starters
Chicken & Poultry
Rosemary and Tomato Chicken
Chicken is one of the most versatile of meats to cook quick meals with, and it has the added advantage that most people like it so it’s often a good choice if you’ve got friends coming to eat with you. This recipe is one I’ve been cooking a lot recently for that very reason. It tastes rich and delicious but it’s really easy to make and the only thing you have to remember is to marinate the meat in the rosemary and olive oil for at least a couple of hours before you’re ready to start cooking.
Ingredients
Serves 4
- 4 chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 leeks, sliced
- 3 cloves of garlic, sliced
- 2 anchovy fillets, from a can or jar
- 400 can whole plum tomatoes
- 1 tbsp capers
- 1 small wine glass red wine
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Method
Slice the chicken breasts fairly thickly and put in a shallow dish with the oil and 2 of the rosemary sprigs. Leave in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.
Fry the leeks gently in a little olive oil until soft, then add the garlic, anchovies and remaining rosemary and fry for another 2 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients (except the parsley) and simmer gently for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, stir-fry the chicken slices until just turning golden and cooked through (about 5 minutes). Add the chicken to the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, then serve garnished with the parsley.
This freezes really well, so it's a good dish to make ahead. Defrost overnight, then reheat very gently in a pan.
A Cook's Plot Tip
I always use cans of whole plum tomatoes rather than chopped tomatoes, as better quality tomatoes seem to be used when they're whole and the flavour is much less acidic. Even so, you still need to include the tablespoon of honey to balance the acidity in the finished dish here.