Monday, September 27, 2010

Chicken with Tomato-Saffron Vinaigrette

Chicken with Tomato Saffron Vinaigrette

Now that we are in our first days of fall, summer has decided to finally come to Southern California. The last few days have been miserably hot and it's making me seriously consider a move to Alaska...or something. This salad is the kind of food I want when the temperature affects my mood and my appetite.  The cook time is very brief and very simple. This is a great after work recipe, especially if you prep the tomatoes and thyme ahead of time. I have been sort of obsessed with baby romaine this summer, but arugula, spinach, or frisee would work just as well here.  Yes, this is a warm salad which seems counter intuitive on a hot day, but believe me, it will cool you down.

Chicken with Tomato-Saffron Vinaigrette
(Adapted from Serious Eats and Bon Appetit, October 2004)

Makes 2 servings

1 1/2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup minced shallots
Pinch crumble saffron
3/4 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
Salt and pepper to taste
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs (can use chicken breasts)
3-4 handfuls mixed greens, frisee or baby romaine

In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, shallots, saffron, and 1/4 teaspoon of paprika.  Whisk to combine then whisk in 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sprinkle in the thyme and add the tomatoes. Toss well to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and the remaining thyme and paprika. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the chicken breasts for 4-5 minutes per side or until they are fully cooked through.  Remove the chicken from the pan and turn off the heat.  Add the tomato vinaigrette to the pan to deglaze the pan and warm the vinaigrette making sure to scrape off any bits on the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

Slice the chicken and divide over the greens. Spoon the vinaigrette over the chicken.

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16 comments:

Banana Wonder said...

Hah, Portland is closer than Alaska and perfectly cool :)
I am so intrigued by this saffron-tomato vinaigrette. Must try! Hope you guys cool off a little down there.

Maria said...

The vinaigrette sounds amazing!

The Urban Baker said...

Yum, I love anything SAFFRON! It is one of my favorite flavors. Thanks for providing me with lunch inspiration today! xx

Unknown said...

you can come to boston to cool off :) hehe, this sounds wonderful! and now that i've finally opened that jar of saffron, i should use it!!

Joanne said...

Man it has been so hot here in the northeast...insane. I could use a big bowl of this warm salad. Mostly because I've got the AC blasting.

The Food Librarian said...

So nice and COOL. Geez, it has been hot! I ate my popsicle in the car on the way home from Trader Joe's. But I wish I had this salad instead. :)

Diana said...

Can I move to Alaska with you?

I wanted to die last night. Roasting butternut squash was a very bad idea indeed. Should have been eating this salad instead!

M. said...

I might be doing something very similar tonight,
it's so hot, I can't even think of cooking :)

Erica said...

aw! Come on! The heat is wonderful ;) Enjoy it before its gone. I love saffron - such a unique flavor. Hope you are doing well

Holly said...

I've been wanting to try Saffron for quite some time now-this looks like the recipe to try it!

vanillasugarblog said...

i don't know how you even can turn on a light in that heat let alone the oven. our heat is gone but our wonderful humidity still lingers on. lucky us!!! lol

Active Foodie said...

Yay! My summer is finally here! ;) Hehe, joking aside, that salad looks delicious. I love the flavor combination of the vinaigrette.

Thistlemoon said...

Sounds incredibly good Esi! Looks pretty too!

Jennifer said...

I love the use of saffron in the vinaigrette! Sounds lovely!

Val said...

Looks amazing!!

Jamie said...

Delicious! This does away with the same old same old salad for sure.