Jump in the Pan Chicken

I’d really like to be better at Menu Planning, but some days I just don’t have the chance or the energy to think about dinner until the last minute. So I like to have a few recipes up my sleeve that are quick to make and need ingredients that I always have in the house.

Jump in the Pan Chicken is one of those recipes. It comes from a cookbook I’ve had for a while - Simple Food by Jill Dupleix, one that I use often because everything in there is very simple to make and tasty. It’s a great recipe to make on days when you’re feeling frustrated - all that pounding of the chicken breasts is great for releasing tension!

Jump in the Pan Chicken

3 skinless chicken breasts (around 150g each)
2 tbsp plain flour
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
4 bay leaves
2 tbsp capers, well rinsed
125ml dry white wine
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley

Place each chicken breast between two sheets of cling film, or in a zip-lock bag, and bash flat with a meat mallet or rolling pin. Pound them until they are really thin and breaking apart.

Tear the chicken into little rags with your fingers, and toss lightly in the flour, seasoned with salt and pepper.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large, heavy-based frying pan. When hot, add the chicken, scattering the pieces so they don’t clump together. Instead of stirring, move the pan on the heat and flip the chicken pieces until lightly golden, so they jump in the pan.

Add the garlic, bay leaves, capers, sea salt and pepper. Remove the pan from the heat, add the wine, and return to a high heat. Let the wine bubble away, again juggling the pan like crazy.

When there is only a little wine left, add the lemon juice and parsley leaves, and jiggle the pan until the sauce comes together and looks creamy. Serve immediately with rice, noodles, mash, couscous, or just a green salad.

Serves 4.

I’m always amazed at how creamy this dish is without a hint of cream in it. Don’t be scared off by the capers, if you’re not a fan of capers - the flavour is very mild. I made this the other day and discovered that we had no white wine in the house. (Strange, but true) I found using (non-alcoholic) fizzy apple cider a perfectly fine substitute.