Time and Place
I am sitting on a patio. A warm, comfortable, summer breeze is blowing, keeping me cool in the dappled shade of the trees above. The air carries the fragrance of summer flowers to the table I share with whose smiling eyes are flashing back into mine - a good friend, my husband, my parents. It is a day with no greater agenda than this lunch and maybe a museum visit or a stop at the farm market. Home in Massachusetts we might take a drive through hill towns along the Mohawk Trail.
I can feel the clothes I am wearing, flip-flops and khaki shorts. A polo shirt to dress up or a tee shirt if I’m more relaxed - as if that were possible. I can hear music - Billie Holiday, or KD Lang’s Invincible Summer - and I can hear conversation and easy laughter.
All of this because of one bite, off of one plate, of lightly-sauced, juicy and tender poached chicken, sitting atop crisp greens. This is the magic of food, to transport us to a time and place, to access memory, to comfort and bring joy. That power is transcendent and leveling in its broad accessibility.
And, if you will excuse me, right now, with a plate of poached chicken, I am heading off to visit that perfect summer day. With just one bite.
White Wine and Herb Poached Chicken
Serves 6
Poaching is a wonderful way to infuse flavor into less flavorful boneless, skinless chicken breast. The tarragon, parsley and chives add freshness while the peppercorns, wine and bay leave create a wonderfully complex sauce. Enjoy this warm or cold. Make extra for chicken salad.
Ingredients:
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 chicken breast halves, about 2 1/2 lbs
3 sprigs tarragon
3-4 sprigs parsley
4-5 chives
2 cups dry white wine
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
2 bay leaves
2 tbs white wine vinegar
2 tbs cold butter, cut in pieces
Directions:
Warm oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add onion and sauté until softened and translucent, about 6-7 minutes. Reduce heat if needed, to cook onions without browning. Add garlic and cook two minutes, until fragrant.
Place chicken breasts in pan in a single layer. Tuck herbs between chicken. Mix wine and stock, and pour into pan. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer chicken for 10-15 minutes until cooked through, 165 degrees.
Remove chicken to a platter and tent with foil. Add peppercorns, bay leaves and vinegar to pan and simmer until reduced by half. Strain sauce, discard solids and return liquid to pan. Add any juices that have collected under the chicken and cook until reduced to 1 cup. Remove sauce from heat and whisk in cold butter to thicken.
Serve warm or chill and serve cold. Either way, don’t forget the sauce.
TIP: Once you add the chicken, be careful not to let poaching liquid boil. That will cook the chicken too quickly and make it dry. How? Even though it is submerged in liquid, if the chicken cooks too fast the protein strands seize up squeezing out moisture.
