Recipe Review | Chicken with Herb-Roasted Tomatoes and Pan Sauce

This is an incredibly flavorful and simple chicken dish. It is definitely going into the Jones Family Rotation. I served this dish over creamy polenta. It would also be great with rice, mashed cauliflower or potatoes, or even a bed of sautéed spinach. I hope you try it! 

Chicken with Herb-Roasted Tomatoes and Pan Sauce

(via bon appétit)

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What you need:

1 1/2 pounds cherry tomatoes or other small tomatoes on the vine

6 tablespoons olive oil, divided

2 tablespoons herbes de Provence

1 teaspoon kosher salt plus more

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pound skinless, boneless, chicken breasts

1 small shallot, minced

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley leaves

3 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

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What to do:

1. Preheat oven to 450º. 
2. Combine tomatoes, 2 tablespoons oil and hermes de Provence in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet until the oil shimmers. Carefully add tomatoes to pan (oil may spatter). Transfer skillet to oven and roast, turning once, until tomatoes burst and give up some of their juices, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and drizzle with Worcestershire sauce. 
3. Meanwhile, season chicken on both sides with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken on both sides until golden brown, 6-8 minutes. Transfer pan to the oven and roast chicken until cooked through, 8-10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest for at least 5 minutes. 
   
4. Add remaining 1 tablespoons oil to same skillet you used for the chicken; heat over medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with vinegar (that just means, add a liquid and scrape the bits of browned "toastiness" off the bottom of the pan); add your tomatoes and their juices and simmer until sauce is just beginning to thicken, about 1 minute. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (My sauce didn't turn out as saucy as the photo in the original recipe and I'm guessing it was because my tomatoes were not as juicy as they could have been. I used cherry tomatoes this time. Next time, I will try vined tomatoes.) 
   
5. Slice chicken; divide among plates (over your accompanying starch?). Spoon tomatoes and sauce over; garnish with herbs. 
    
   
   
   ***Do be careful! If you're like me, and transferring your skillets back and forth from the stovetop to the oven is not a well-practiced drill, remember NOT to grab the handle of the oven-hot skillet at any point.*** I DID remember to use a mitt when I removed the chicken from the oven but when I went to add the tomatoes and finish the sauce, I thoughtlessly placed my hand around the handle and gave myself a pretty decent burn. A good tip is to turn your mitt over onto the metal handle or you can buy one of these.
   Bon appétit!