Cranberry Chicken

Pan sauces. So easy and so yummy. After making chicken piccata a dozen times or so, it dawned on me that you could really make pan sauces taste like anything. Orange, cranberry, plain chicken gravy....It's all in what you're looking for.

This recipe came about one night when I had an extra can of cranberry sauce. Since I do not buy canned cranberry anymore because of the HFCS, it has turned into using a bag of fresh cranberries. The wonderful thing about pan sauces is that you can add whatever you'd like to them so while this is a general recipe, play around. Make up your own cranberry chicken. I promise, you won't be disappointed.

Cranberry Chicken

6 boneless chicken breasts, butterflied (or sliced into cutlets if they are super big - you should end up with 9-12 1/4-1/2" slices of chicken breast)
2 c. all purpose flour
unsalted butter and/or EVOO
1 poly bag fresh/frozen cranberries (I think they come in 12 oz.)
1 c. chicken broth/stock
1 c. juice or red wine or combo of both (juices - orange, pomegranate, grape)(wines - merlot, malbec, cabernet - whatever you'd like to drink - heck, pour some white wine in if you'd like)
1/4 - 1/2 c. sweetener (this can be brown sugar, real maple syrup, molasses, honey or a mixture of them - whatever you'd like to taste)
salt & pepper
Dash of cayenne

Coat chicken breasts in seasoned flour (just salt, pepper & all purpose flour).

Pan fry in a mixture of EVOO and unsalted butter until brown (you can just use EVOO or just butter - I usually use both).

Once all chicken is cooked and being kept warm on a sheet pan in the oven, deglaze your pan(s) with the chicken stock.

Add in the juice/wine, sweetener and cranberries. Let that cook down for a few mins. on medium heat and taste the sauce. Add whatever you think it needs (more tartness? add some vinegar or more wine - want some heat? Add some cayenne).

Once the sauce tastes decent to you, add the chicken back into the pan(s) and simmer for 10 minutes or so on low heat. The sauce should thicken up in the pan and coat the chicken.

Once done, remove the chicken to a platter and cover in the yummy sauce.