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Chipotle Garlic Chicken Breasts with Cilantro Recipe

Ingredients

Brine:
2 quarts water
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 teaspoon black peppercorn, coarsely smashed
8 6-ounce boneless chicken half breasts, skin on, tenders removed

Canola oil for searing

Chipotle Garlic Cream Sauce:
1 head garlic
1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil for roasting garlic and 1 Tablespoon to sauté onion
1 yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, seeds removed
1/2 cup crème fraîche
1 cup cream, reduced by half
1 cup chicken stock, reduced by half
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Garnish:
Cilantro sprigs

Methods/Steps

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Brine: Mix water, salt, sugar, garlic and black peppercorns. Immerse the chicken in the brine and refrigerate for 1/2 hour-1 hour. Remove from the brine and pat dry.

Roast the Garlic: Take a head of garlic and cut off the top of the stem end. Place the garlic bulb in a piece of foil and drizzle it with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap it tightly and roast it in a preheated oven until completely soft and caramelized, about 30-45 minutes. Let cool slightly.

Prepare Chipotle Garlic Cream Sauce: Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a sauté pan. Add chopped onion and sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add the toasted and ground cumin and cook 1-2 minutes. Transfer the onion/cumin mixture to a blender. Squeeze the garlic bulb into the blender. Add the chipotles (with seeds removed), crème fraîche, reduced cream and chicken stock, and salt. Process until pureed, about 2 minutes. Pour the puree into a saucepan. Set aside.

Sear then Roast: Preheat an outdoor grill or an indoor, ridged grill until very hot. Brush the grill with canola oil. Place the chicken breasts, skin side down on the grill. Top with a baking sheet with the rim facing up. Place a brick on the top of the baking sheet and let cook until golden, about 3-5 minutes. Remove the brick and baking sheet and transfer the chicken to a sheet pan, browned side up. Finish browning the remaining chicken breasts then transfer the chicken to the oven. Roast chicken in the oven until a knife inserted in the center encounters no resistance (about 150ºF), about 10-15 minutes.

Finish Sauce: Bring chipotle garlic cream sauce to a simmer and cook over low heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add the lemon juice and chopped cilantro.

Serve: Place a chicken breast on the plate and ladle 3 Tablespoons of sauce on top. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and serve immediately.

Recipe created by Parties That Cook®

Serves/Makes

Serves 8