This Tuscan Styled Chicken has the best flavour of any sauce I've made so far

Ingredients

• 1 piece Brown or Yellow Onion (peeled, halved, thinly sliced and diced fine)
• 6 cloves Garlic Cloves (peeled and grated into a paste using a microplane or box grater)
• 100 grams Sun‑Dried Tomatoes (roughly chopped if whole; can be used straight if already sliced)
• 10 grams Fresh Basil (tight bunch, torn or roughly chopped; no large stems)
• 2 pieces Chicken Breasts (large, skinless, boneless, butterflied; can use 4 small whole breasts instead)
• 45 milliliters Unrefined Olive Oil (extra‑virgin preferred; divided for seasoning and searing)
• 1 teaspoon Onion Powder (about 3 g)
• 1 teaspoon Garlic Powder (about 3 g)
• 1 teaspoon Paprika (regular sweet paprika, about 3 g total (half for chicken, half for sauce))
• to taste Sea Salt Flakes
• 10 cracks Black Pepper (freshly cracked)
• 14 grams Clarified Butter (or ghee; melts quickly and resists burning)
• 35 grams Concentrated Tomato Paste (about 1 Tbsp)
• 1 teaspoon Dried Oregano (about 1 g)
• 100 milliliters White Wine (dry white; can substitute chicken stock)
• 180 milliliters Chicken Stock (low‑sodium)
• 400 milliliters Heavy Cream (thickened cream, full‑fat)
• 60 grams Parmigiano‑Reggiano (freshly grated)
• 120 grams Baby Spinach (washed and patted dry)

Instructions

1. Prep Vegetables & Herbs

   Peel and halve the onion, slice thinly, then dice finely. Grate the garlic cloves into a paste. Roughly chop the sun‑dried tomatoes. Gather the basil, tear into a tight bunch and roughly chop.

   Time: PT5M

2. Season the Chicken

   Place the butterflied chicken breasts in a mixing bowl. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil, onion powder, garlic powder, ½ tsp paprika, sea‑salt flakes, and 10 cracks of black pepper. Massage with clean hands until evenly coated.

   Time: PT5M

3. Sear the Chicken

   Heat a large high‑rimmed pan over medium‑high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil. When shimmering, add the chicken breasts and sear 3 minutes per side until golden brown.

   Time: PT6M

   Temperature: Medium‑high

4. Rest the Chicken

   Transfer the seared chicken to a plate and set aside while you build the sauce.

   Time: PT1M

5. Sauté Onion

   In the same pan, melt 1 Tbsp clarified butter. Add the diced onion and sauté 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and lightly golden.

   Time: PT3M

   Temperature: Medium

6. Add Garlic & Tomato Base

   Stir in the garlic paste, concentrated tomato paste, chopped sun‑dried tomatoes, dried oregano, ½ tsp paprika, and a pinch of sea salt. Cook 1 minute, stirring constantly to avoid burning the garlic.

   Time: PT2M

   Temperature: Medium

7. Deglaze

   Pour in 100 ml white wine (or chicken stock) to deglaze the pan, scraping the fond. Reduce for about 2 minutes until the liquid has mostly evaporated.

   Time: PT2M

   Temperature: Medium

8. Add Stock

   Stir in 180 ml chicken stock, bring to a boil, then reduce for 1 minute.

   Time: PT2M

   Temperature: Medium‑high

9. Incorporate Cream

   Add 400 ml heavy cream, stir well, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium‑low and simmer 7 minutes, or until the sauce thickens and turns a rosy hue.

   Time: PT7M

   Temperature: Medium‑low

10. Finish the Sauce

    Stir in grated Parmigiano‑Reggiano, the chopped basil, and baby spinach. Cook 1‑2 minutes until the cheese melts and the spinach wilts.

    Time: PT2M

    Temperature: Medium

11. Re‑heat Chicken in Sauce

    Return the seared chicken breasts (with any resting juices) to the pan. Increase heat to medium‑high and simmer 3 minutes, ensuring the chicken is heated through.

    Time: PT3M

    Temperature: Medium‑high

12. Plate & Garnish

    Transfer the chicken and sauce to serving bowls or plates. Garnish with thinly sliced basil leaves and a few extra cracks of black pepper.

    Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

1530

Protein

36 g

Carbohydrates

30 g

Fat

110 g

Fiber

8 g