Send a Meal Blog

Saturday, October 12 2013

We combine currant jelly--a tasty "secret" ingredient in rich sauces for game birds or poultry--with a medley of fall flavors, such as pears, walnuts and leeks, to make a quick pan sauce. Serve with quinoa and broccolini.

Recipe from

Servings: 4

Prep Time: 35 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

ingredients

1 large leek, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 large boneless, skinless chicken thighs, (about 1 1/2 pounds), trimmed (see Tip)
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, divided
1 large firm ripe pear, peeled and diced
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons currant jelly
1/4 cup chopped walnuts , toasted (see Tip)

directions

Place sliced leek in a colander; rinse and drain well.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and cook until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 2 teaspoons oil to the pan. Add the leek and cook, stirring, until beginning to brown and soften, about 2 minutes. Add pear and 1/4 cup broth; simmer until the pear is soft and the broth is evaporated, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup broth and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add currant jelly to the pan and cook, stirring, until melted. Stir in the cornstarch mixture, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a boil, stirring, and cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan and turn to coat with sauce. Serve sprinkled with walnuts.

Tips:

Tip: You'll need about 1 1/2 pounds untrimmed boneless, skinless chicken thighs to serve four people. For recipes that call for one large thigh per person, buy them at the butcher counter; prepackaged thighs vary dramatically in size. Ask for four 6-ounce boneless, skinless thighs. To trim them well, we like to use kitchen shears to snip the fat away from the meat. After trimming, you'll have four 4-ounce portions.

Tip: Toast walnuts in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

nutrition information

Per Serving: cal. (kcal) 333, Fat, total (g) 18, chol. (mg) 76, sat. fat (g) 3, carb. (g) 20, Monosaturated fat (g) 7, fiber (g) 3, pro. (g) 23, sodium (mg) 530, Potassium (mg) 288, Fruit () 1, Lea

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