Chicken a la Vendemmia
- 2 pounds seedless red grapes
- 4 large bone-in chicken breasts, skin on
- Sea salt, preferably gray salt, and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 teaspoons fennel spice, recipe follows
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallot
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
- 1/2 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup fennel seed
- 3 tablespoons coriander seed
- 2 tablespoons white peppercorns
- 3 tablespoons kosher salt
- Puree the grapes in a blender then strain through a sieve, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible.
- You should have about 2 1/2 cups of juice.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degree Fahrenheit.
- Season the chicken on all sides with salt, pepper and fennel spice.
- Heat a large ovenproof skillet over moderately high heat.
- When the skillet is hot, add the olive oil.
- Add the chicken breasts, skin side down, and brown well on all sides, about seven minutes total.
- Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook until the chicken is done throughout, 12 to 15 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat in the skillet.
- Add the shallot to the skillet and return to moderate heat.
- Cook until softened, then add the rosemary and cook briefly to release its fragrance.
- Add 2 cups of the grape juice and simmer briskly until reduced by half.
- Add the stock and any collected juices from the chicken platter and simmer until the mixture has reduced to a creamy, sauce-like consistency.
- The total volume of the sauce will be a little more than 1 cup.
- Cut the chicken breasts in half with a heavy knife or cleaver and return them to the platter.
- Spoon the sauce over and around them.
- Serve immediately.
- Put the fennel seed, coriander seed and peppercorns in a small heavy skillet over moderate heat.
- Watching carefully, toss the seeds frequently so that they toast evenly.
- When they are light brown and fragrant, pour them onto a plate to cool.
- (They must be cool before grinding, or they will gum up the blender blades.)
- Pour the cooled seeds into a blender and add the salt.
- Blend to a powder, removing the blender from its stand and shaking it occasionally to redistribute the seeds.
- Store in an airtight container away from light and heat for up to 4 months, or freeze for up to a year.
red grapes, chicken breasts, salt, fennel spice, extravirgin olive oil, shallot, fresh rosemary, chicken stock, fennel seed, coriander seed, white peppercorns, kosher salt
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chicken-a-la-vendemmia-recipe.html (may not work)