with mushroom raisin sauce, couscous and green beans.

Yield: 4

Jean-Pierre

Tender chicken breast, sauteed and finished in the oven. Served on a mushroom raisin sauce with couscous and almond green beans.

• 4large chicken breasts, 6 – 8 oz each

For the sauce:

• 2TBS butter
• 8oz portobello mushrooms, sliced
• chanterelle mushrooms, as desired
• ¼cup shallots, finely chopped
• 2TBS garlic olive oil
• 1tsp sage, dried or fresh
• 1TBS black mission fig vinegar
• ½cup ruby port wine
• 1cup beef or chicken stock
• ¼cup rum raisins
• ¼cup cream
• cornstarch, as needed for thickening
• pinch of nutmeg

For the green beans:

• 1lb green beans already cooked
• 2TBS butter
• ¼cup shallots, finely chopped
• ¼cup sundried tomatoes, minced very fine
• 1TBS garlic, minced
• 2TBS toasted almonds, chopped
• 2TBS butter
• 1TBS parsley chopped
• salt and pepper, to taste

For the couscous:

• 1cup pearl couscous
• 1clove garlic, minced
• 1tsp (heaping) better than bouillon, chicken

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Make the sauce:

In a reduction pan, add 2 TBS butter and when hot add the shallots and cook them until light golden-brown.

Add the mushrooms, season them with salt (this will help extract the water)

When the mushrooms are fairly dry, add the garlic and sage.

When the garlic is fragrant add the balsamic vinegar, port wine and stock and raisins.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as needed.

Cook for 5 to 7 minutes and add cornstarch as needed.

Cook the chicken:

In a frying pan, add olive oil and when hot, 365ºF add the seasoned chicken breast.

Sear on one side and when golden-brown, flip on other side and put in the 375°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes and the breasts reach 160°F in the center. Remove from oven and rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

Prepare the couscous:

In a small saucepan, melt a TBS of butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until you can smell it. Add the couscous, 1 cup water and 1 heaping tsp of chicken stock concentrate. Mix, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer, cover and cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and rest while chicken finishes.

Prepare the green beans:

In a sauté pan, heat the butter until hot, add the shallots and cook for a minute, add the sun-dried tomatoes.

Add the green beans and garlic.

Add more butter and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and chopped parsley and chopped toasted almonds if you have it!

Finish & serve:

Slice the chicken on an angle. Place some sauce on one side of the plate, place the sliced chicken on top. Plate beans and couscous to the side of the chicken.