By Late October. Eight weeks to the courthouse date. The apartment has the small steady held-breath quality that an upcoming wedding produces even in a low-key arrangement. Mama and I have been doing the small logistics across the past three weeks — the courthouse paperwork (filed last Wednesday), the witnesses (confirmed), the apartment-dinner menu (settled), the small parents-meet-each-other-properly Friday-night dinner we are scheduling for early November.
Sunday I made creamy garlic chicken because Dustin had requested a Sunday dinner that did not require any wedding-conversation across the meal. The dish is the kind of one-pan elegant simple weeknight that lets you eat at the kitchen table without having to talk about anything other than what is on the plate.
The procedure: pan-seared boneless chicken thighs in a Dutch oven, removed; sauteed shallot and garlic in the rendered chicken fat for three minutes; deglazed with a half-cup of white wine and reduced by half; whisked in heavy cream, fresh thyme, salt, pepper; returned the chicken to the sauce; finished with grated parmesan. Twenty-five minutes total. Dustin had three thighs and most of the pan sauce. I had two thighs. The wedding talk stayed off the table.
Dustin had a short week at the shop. The small auto-shop rhythm continues to be the small steady-income-source the small family-of-three-soon-to-be-three has built around. Bobby is reasonable. The shifts are predictable. The work is the work.
Aunt Linda came over Tuesday for the small two-hour visit. She held Brayden (or in earlier weeks, sat with me while I prepped). She brought a small Aunt-Linda-thing — a small handmade card, a small jar of preserves from her late-summer-garden, a small pressed-flower bookmark. The visits have become the small Tuesday-rhythm that has held the year together.
Creamy Garlic Chicken
Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 2
Ingredients
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6–8 oz each)
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.
- Sear the chicken. Heat olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once shimmering, add chicken and cook 5–6 minutes per side until golden and cooked through (internal temp 165°F). Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
- Build the sauce. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter to the skillet. Add minced garlic and cook 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly, until fragrant but not browned.
- Deglaze and simmer. Pour in chicken broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes.
- Add cream and Parmesan. Stir in heavy cream and Italian seasoning. Simmer over medium-low heat for 3–4 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Stir in Parmesan until melted and smooth.
- Finish and serve. Return the chicken (and any resting juices) to the pan. Spoon sauce over the top and heat through for 1–2 minutes. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve immediately.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 610 | Protein: 48g | Fat: 44g | Carbs: 5g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 540mg