miniChef

Chicken breast with chestnuts

Classic dish with chicken breast, chestnuts, pears and an aromatic pomegranate and wine sauce.

🌐 gotvach.com
🌍 Bulgarian

Ingredients

800 g chicken breast

300 g chestnuts

2 garlic cloves

1 cup pomegranate and orange juice

1 rakia

1 cup red wine

1 cup white wine

pomegranate

2 pears

3-4 tbsp lemon juice

butter

sugar

salt

Method

Wash 800 g of chicken breast under cold running water and pat it dry with kitchen paper. This helps it brown better.
Heat 2-3 tbsp of butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. When the butter stops sizzling and starts to evaporate slightly, it is ready for cooking.
Cut the chicken breast into smaller pieces, about 2 cm thick. Season them lightly with salt on both sides.
Place the chicken pieces in the hot pan and fry for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan so the meat can brown evenly.
Transfer the fried chicken breast to a baking dish (about 20x30 cm).
In the same pan, add 1 cup of pomegranate and orange juice, 1 cup of red wine, and 1 cup of white wine. Stir well and let the liquid boil for 1-2 minutes to evaporate some of the alcohol.
Add 1 cup of rakia to the liquid in the pan. Be careful, as rakia is highly flammable. If possible, remove the pan from the heat before adding it.
Pour the liquid from the pan over the chicken breast in the dish. Add 300 g of chestnuts.
If desired, add 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped. Distribute them evenly in the dish.
Cover the dish with aluminum foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for about 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and bake for another 15 minutes, until the meat is fully cooked and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Meanwhile, core 2 pears and cut them in half. Cut each half into 4-6 slices.
Heat 1 tbsp of butter in a separate pan over medium heat. Add the pear slices and fry for about 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until they are soft but still slightly crisp.
Add 1/2 cup of white wine to the pears and cook for another 5 minutes, until the wine has almost completely evaporated.
Sprinkle the pears with a little sugar and pour over 3-4 tbsp of lemon juice. Stir well and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Serve the chicken breast with the sauce, chestnuts, and pears. Sprinkle the dish with seeds from 1/2 pomegranate for freshness and color.