Twenty-five years ago, California cuisine was a novelty. Today, you could make a convincing case that the Golden State's approach to food sums up the way that every creative chef, whether in a restaurant or a home kitchen, cooks today.

We all value freshness. We strive to use the finest seasonal fruits and vegetables, grown locally whenever possible, and preferably using sustainable organic methods, so that the foods we eat benefit not just our own bodies but also our planet. We seek out meats, poultry and seafood that are also produced using methods that are not only sustainable and organic but also humane.

Freshness sums up our approach to cooking, too. We combine ingredients in exciting yet simple ways, using quick methods that highlight rather than disguise natural flavors and textures. We base many sauces on the simple process of reduction, boiling liquids to evaporate them, yielding a more concentrated flavor and thicker consistency. Presentation is equally simple, expressing the natural beauty of the ingredients.

You'll find all of these principles at work in my recipe for Chicken with Goat Cheese, Fresh Herbs and Chardonnay Sauce. It was one of the most popular dishes I prepared for guests at Spago a quarter of a century ago and today it remains a dish that people still ask for and enjoy. Although it can be easily prepared year-round, its freshness, ease and simplicity make it an ideal summer main course.

It starts with the right ingredients. I use plump organic chicken breasts, although the recipe works well with any fresh chicken from your market. Stuffing goat cheese under the skin, a simple trick I explain in the recipe, was my way to introduce a little tangy richness to the mild-tasting meat. While the creamy cheese could be hard to find back in the 1980s, today it's carried in many well-stocked supermarkets. An assortment of chopped fresh herbs mixed with the cheese completes the flavor profile.

If you want to cook this dish on the grill, the soft, melting texture of the hot cheese is sauce enough for the chicken. But there's a separately prepared sauce recipe that goes beautifully with the dish regardless of how you cook it. It's based on a reduction of Chardonnay, the full-bodied white wine that has become synonymous with California cuisine, which adds a nice touch of acidity to balance the richness of the cheese. And you don't need an expensive Chardonnay to make the sauce, because once the wine boils down, you won't be able to tell how much it cost. Do, however, pour a decent Chardonnay with the finished dish. That way, you can toast California cuisine and all the good things it has brought us down through the decades.

CHICKEN WITH GOAT CHEESE, FRESH HERBS AND CHARDONNAY SAUCE

Serves 4

4 ounces fresh goat cheese

1 tablespoon each chopped fresh tarragon, Italian parsley and chervil

Freshly ground white pepper

4 large boneless chicken breast halves, skin left on

1 cup good-quality California Chardonnay

1 shallot, minced

1 cup good-quality canned chicken broth

Salt

4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 cup heavy cream

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. or preheat an outdoor or indoor grill.

In a bowl, combine the goat cheese, half of the herbs and white pepper to taste. Use a fork to mash them together.

Insert a finger or two under the skin along the long side of each breast half, forming a pocket between the meat and skin while leaving the skin attached as much as possible along its edges. Divide the goat cheese mixture evenly into 4 portions and, with your finger, carefully insert it under the skin of each breast. Pat gently to distribute the goat cheese evenly under the skin.

Combine the Chardonnay and shallot in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the wine has reduced to a syrupy glaze, about 1/4 cup, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in the broth and continue boiling until the liquid has reduced by half, about 10 minutes more.

While the liquid is reducing, cook the chicken breasts. Season them lightly all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle evenly on both sides with the olive oil. Put the breasts in a baking dish and roast in the preheated oven until golden brown and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes, or cook on the grill, starting on the skin side, for 10 to 12 minutes per side.

When the liquid has reduced, add the cream and continue to boil until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon lightly, 5 to 7 minutes more. Whisk in the butter in small pieces, making sure each piece is incorporated before adding the next. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Strain into a clean saucepan, gently rewarm and stir in the remaining chopped herbs.

Spoon a pool of sauce onto each of 4 warm dinner plates. With a sharp knife, cut each chicken breast crosswise and at a 45-degree angle into 5 pieces. Arrange them slightly overlapping on top of the sauce. Serve immediately.