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The simple act of transferring a skillet from stove top to oven can greatly improve the forecast of perfectly cooked poultry. The technique will not add much, if any, cooking time to any recipe that involves cooking chicken in a small amount of oil or fat. It works for one breast half or for as many as will fit in the pan. The same method can be applied to cooking steaks or chops. It helps if the items are of similar size or can be trimmed that way.

Chicken With Lime Butter

4 servings

A simple sauteed chicken breast has a better chance of being cooked through yet staying moist when it is started in a skillet on the stove top and finished in the oven.

Serve with sauteed carrots or green beans. Adapted from a recipe on the National Chicken Council’s web site, www.eatchicken.com.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, trimmed of tenderloins and excess fat (reserve tenderloin strips for another use)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 to 4 tablespoons canola oil

Juice of 1 to 2 limes (at least 2 tablespoons)

3 to 4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon minced chives, plus more for garnish (may substitute chopped parsley as a garnish)

1/4 teaspoon chopped dill

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sprinkle the chicken breast halves on both sides with the salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick, over medium heat. Add the chicken breast halves and cook for about three minutes, or until lightly browned on the bottom. Use tongs to turn the chicken over; cook for one minute until lightly browned.

Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake for five to seven minutes, until the chicken is firm to the touch and its internal temperature taken on an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees. Transfer the chicken to a plate.

Drain any excess juices and fat from the skillet, then return the skillet to the stove top; add the lime juice and heat over medium-low heat. Add the butter, stirring constantly until melted, to form an almost-opaque sauce. Remove from the heat and add the herbs, stirring to combine.

Divide the chicken among individual plates; spoon the sauce over each portion. Garnish with extra herbs, if desired. Serve warm.

NUTRITION Per serving: 196 calories, 17 gm protein, 1 gm carbohydrates, 13 gm fat, 7 gm saturated fat, 70 mg cholesterol, 332 mg sodium, 0 gm dietary fiber

(The Washington Post)

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Sauteed Chicken Breasts

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