Seriously Simple: A holiday taste in a bite
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons tawny port
1/2 cup fresh cranberry sauce
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1. Place each chicken breast half between two pieces of plastic wrap or on a wooden cutting board. Using a mallet or the bottom of a saucepan, evenly pound them to 1/8-inch thick. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium-high heat, and spray with olive oil. When the skillet is hot, saute the paillards in batches, about 2-3 minutes per side or until no pinkness remains. Remove the paillards to a side platter, overlapping them for a pretty presentation. Cover with foil and keep warm.
3. Add the stock and port to the pan, and deglaze the pan on medium-high heat by scraping up the brown bits. Add the cranberry sauce, and whisk together until the it is slightly reduced and is a sauce-like consistency, for about 2 minutes.
4. Spoon the sauce over the overlapping paillards, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.
Advance preparation: This may be made 6 hours ahead through Step 1, covered and refrigerated.
(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)
