Sautéed Chicken Breasts in Garlic Broth with Tomatoes, Spinach, Saffron, and Basil

Name: Sautéed Chicken Breasts in Garlic Broth with Tomatoes, Spinach, Saffron, and Basil (Poulet Sauté à la Soupe à L’ail, et aux Tomates, Safran, et Basilic)
Yield: Makes 4 main-course servings
Cuisine: France
Ingredients: 2 double bone-in chicken breasts, or 4 individual bone-in half breasts; 2 double bone-in chicken breasts, or 4 individual bone-in half breasts; salt; pepper; 2 to 4 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil; 1 medium-size onion, chopped fine; 1 pound [115 g] prosciutto end, pancetta, or bacon, cut into ¼-inch [.5 cm] cubes; 1 pound [115 g] prosciutto end, pancetta, or bacon, cut into ¼-inch [.5 cm] cubes; 1 pound [115 g] prosciutto end, pancetta, or bacon, cut into ¼-inch [.5 cm] cubes; 1 pound [450 g] spinach, stemmed and washed, or two 10-ounce [280 g] bunches (optional); 1 quart (1 recipe) Garlic Soup, without the egg; 1 quart (1 recipe) Garlic Soup, without the egg; leaves from 1 bunch basil, about 40 leaves; leaves from 1 bunch basil, about 40 leaves; leaves from 1 bunch basil, about 40 leaves; 3 medium-size tomatoes (about 1 pound total), peeled, seeded, and chopped; 1 pinch saffron threads, soaked for 30 minutes or more in 1 tablespoon water (optional); 1 pinch saffron threads, soaked for 30 minutes or more in 1 tablespoon water (optional)

Poulet Sauté à la Soupe à L’ail, et aux Tomates, Safran, et Basilic

Preparation info

Makes
4
main-course servings

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Glorious French Food

By James Peterson

Published 2002

About

Ingredients

2 double bone-in chicken breasts, or 4 individual bone-in half breasts
salt
pepper

Europe
France
Main course
Mediterranean

Method

If you’re using double bone-in chicken breasts, turn them upside down and cut them in half by pressing a chef’s knife straight down into the center of the underside of the breastbone and bringing the knife all the way through one side of the breast. Repeat, going in the other direction. Season the breasts with salt and pepper and sauté them skin-side down first, in a pan just large enough to ho