| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 45 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Cook: | 30 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 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
- 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
Instructions
- 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 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 1 year.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 670 |
| Total Fat | 19 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3 g |
| Carbohydrates | 62 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 14 g |
| Sugar | 37 g |
| Protein | 69 g |
| Cholesterol | 199 mg |
| Sodium | 1366 mg |
Reviews
Delicious! I modified the recipe and used boneless, skinless chicken breasts and grilled them while the sauce was reducing. It was really simple. I put the grapes in the food processor, stems and all, and strained them really well. Didn’t have white peppercorns, so used multi colored ones. Highly recommend this.
This was so delicious. If you follow the directions to a T, you will get a beautiful meal.
I saw this episode years ago and always wanted to try this chicken, especially after reading the reviews. I have to say I’m blown away at the five star review now after making it. For one it was very time consuming. The dish turned out exactly as it should have..the sauce thickened and the chicken was cooked to perfection. I also made sure to add the corriander seed, white peppercorns and salt to the spice mix. In addition, added sliced figs while deglazing at the end. My end result was basic chicken that had a slight taste of fennel seeds, which I’m not a huge fan of anyway. The sauce had no taste, none, whatsoever. It tasted like plain chicken baked in the oven with fennel on top. SO disappointing as I was hoping this would be a go-to dinner for company. Luckily I had leftovers from the night before and ate that as the chicken was very bland and tasteless. A waste of time for me.
Make this if you want to impress company. It is that good and simple!
This is a restaurant-quality recipe, yet so easy to make. I personally vote for using the figs. I could only find dried whole figs, so I sliced them in half and reconstituted them by simmering for a minute in white wine and let them sit for a while, then drain. This is fabulous–one of those recipes that makes you excited about cooking.
This recipe is really simple to make and delicious!
Excellent! Used 100% grape juice and a little butter in the sauce instead of the crushed grapes. Hit with the kids as well.
Absolutely fabulous. The savory seasonings from the fennel rub work so well with the slightly sweet sauce. This is one I will definitely do again!
This chicken recipe is amazing! The addition of quartered figs is a must , it complements the sauce beautifully ! I added about 1 tbsp of butter to the sauce at the end to thicken it a little bit.
A keeper! I wish I had double the sauce, even my kids were asking for seconds!
A keeper! I wish I had double the sauce, even my kids were asking for seconds!
I made this chicken dish the other night and my family said it was the best chicken dish that they have ever had. I am cooking it again tonight.