Tried + Tested: Tomato pan fried chicken with Ken Forrester's Petit Pinotage
Laura on 23 Jun 2015
Courgette fries, pan fried chicken thighs in a garlic, tomato and basil sauce with a Petit Pinotage wine match from Ken Forrester.
On recommendation, I chose a tomato based dish to try out with this Petit Pinotage from Ken Forrester, and after sifting through of a fair few pasta based options I came across an interesting recipe from BBC Good Food. I adapted the recipe here and there; swapping chicken breasts for thighs as I often find them less inclined to dry out when cooking for a longer period of time, and removing the olives from the dish in an effort to avoid any overpowering flavours taking over the wine.
The result was quite impressive - and perfect for dinner at this time of year. The fresh, fruitiness of the wine works well for a warm summer's evening for those who like drinking red no matter what the season, with a sweetness that compliments the salty, savoury flavours of this dish.
Ingredients (serves 3)
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, shredded
300g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
300ml chicken stock
generous handful basil leaves
Method
Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan, then salt and pepper the chicken and fry, flattest-side down, for 4-5 mins. Turn the chicken over, add the shallots and cook 4-5 mins more. Lift the chicken from the pan and set aside. Add the garlic to the pan, then continue cooking until the shallots are soft.
Tip in the tomatoes with the balsamic vinegar, olives, stock, half the basil and seasoning, then simmer, stirring frequently, for 7-8 mins until pulpy. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan and gently simmer, covered, for 5 mins more, to cook the chicken through. Serve scattered with the rest of the basil.
For the courgette fries
Pre-heat the oven to 180C. Half your courgette and cut in to chip-like fingers. In a small bowl, combine salt, pepper and some flour, and in a separate bowl whisk up an egg. One by one, dip the courgettes into the egg, followed by the seasoned flour mix and lay on a lightly oiled baking tray. Cook in the oven for around 15 minutes, or until browned at the edges and soft in the middle.