Chicken Bryan

Sun-dried tomatoes are a unique gem. Mostly looked past at the grocery, these dehydrated pieces of goodness add ample flavor to many dishes. It's like the flavor of a tomato concentrated. Though I don't recall it, they were apparently a big thing in the 90's, suddenly dropping off in popularity. These dried fruits (because tomatoes are a fruit) don't have a detailed documented history, but Italians would dry them out on their ceramic rooves for a week or more to preserve them.

The dish itself is named after Bryan, Texas, where the Carraba family moved in the 1890's. In all honesty, I'm not particularly partial to chain restaurants. But this recipe is a delight. I should note that I used grilled chicken for this; for us, it's been easy to do meal prep and keep grilled chicken around for the week. It means I've got protein ready to go for many a dish, and made this one easy.

To make Chicken Bryan, I started by sautéing onion and garlic in a large skillet.

Once the onion had softened and the garlic was fragrant, I added the white wine and lemon juice, then heated it to a simmer. Once the sauce has reduced by about half, I lowered the heat and stirred in the butter. Lastly, I mixed in the sun dried tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper. I used jarred sun-dried tomatoes in this version, but you can also use dried and let them soak in water or broth for 20-30 minutes prior.

I served the chicken over fresh pasta and the sauce. Goat cheese is king here, but I opted for mozzarella in this rendition.

This came out so good. The sun dried tomatoes alongside the pasta are a delight.

The sauce is light and flavorful. The sun-dried tomatoes have such a great flavor, and making them the heart of this dish is a treat. The saltiness of goat cheese pairs excellently, but the soft mozzarella in this version went well with the pasta. Overall, this is a quick and easy dish that is ideal to make a weeknight dinner feel fancy.

Chicken Bryan Recipe

Ingredients:

2 grilled chicken breasts

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon minced yellow onion

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

2/3 cup cold butter, sliced

1 1/2 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

6 boneless skinless chicken breast halves

2 tablespoons fresh chopped basil

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

8 ounces goat cheese (or fresh mozzarella)

2 cups cooked pasta

Instructions:

Heat a large skillet to medium-high heat. Add butter, then sauté onion for 1-2 minutes, until slightly softened. Add garlic and continue cooking one additional minute, stirring frequently. Increase heat to medium-high. Add white wine and lemon juice, then heat to a simmer until sauce has reduced by about half. Reduce heat to medium-low, then stir in butter slices individually. Add tomatoes, basil, salt, and pepper, then stir. Remove from heat. Serve sauce over pasta and top with grilled chicken. Sprinkle with goat cheese.

recipe adapted from carrabba's chicken bryan