Recipe: Chicken à la Provençal

You will be transported to Provence as the aroma of garlic, tomatoes, fresh herbs and olives fill your home when making this recipe.  Chicken is everyone’s favourite, and this tasty dish is equally good as a mid-week meal or a dinner party dazzler. The use of sun-dried tomatoes give this dish an added tangy taste.

Even though the prep time is minimal, allow at least 2 hours marinating time. Then it’s just a matter of baking it in the oven for 40 minutes.  Too easy.

I like to serve Chicken à la Provençal with cooked risoni (rice-shaped pasta) tossed with a little fresh pesto. Oh, and washed down with a glass of dry rosé

Ingredients (serves 4):
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
5 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
¼ cup freshly chopped basil
2 tablespoons baby capers, drained
1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
1/3 cup kalamata olives, sliced
200g button mushrooms, sliced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 chicken breast fillets, trimmed of any fat
½ cup dry white wine

Method (20 mins prep + min 2 hours marinating time + 40 mins cooking):
1.    Place the first 10 ingredients in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Add the chicken breast fillets and combine thoroughly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for a minimum of 2 hours, up to a maximum of 12 hours.
2.    Preheat the oven to 180°C.
3.    Place the chicken and marinade ingredients in a baking dish and pour over the white wine.
4.    Bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Baste with the pan juices occasionally and turn the chicken fillets halfway through cooking.
5.    To serve, spoon the marinade ingredients over the chicken.