I did a bad thing this morning. I ignored the cats who tried to tell me it was time for breakfast, and at six-something, I fell back asleep. They showed me what-for. At straight up seven this morning, someone shocked me out of a deep sleep with a thump, crash, and tinkle. I got up, put on shoes, and went looking for broken glass. Everything survived, but I am now wondering why I have left that stupid bucket o' keys on the wobbly table in the kitchen, just begging to be thrown on the floor at daybreak. By midweek, I expect my kitchen to be as put together and unpacked as it can be, until Mr S-P gets back from his fabulous vacation, and we start building extra workspace (a portable island).
I got creative with food again the other night. I created a new recipe that is brilliant in its simplicity. It was a matter of using what I had in new ways. I don't know how to name it without listing everything in it. Hm, what to call it? Chicken and stewed nectarines in a sage and rum reduction? Yeah, that's probably the easiest way to describe it. And cooking it was as easy as it could be too. The method was as follows:
Brown two chicken breasts in two or three tablespoons of butter, until both the chicken (both sides) and butter have thoroughly browned. Pull chicken out and reduce heat to deglaze the pan. Carefully pour in two or three ounces of spiced rum and scrape the bottom of the skillet. Before the rum evaporates too much, pour in about a cup and a half of chicken stock. Put chicken back in the pan, and add a chopped nectarine and four or five leaves of fresh sage, snipped with scissors. Cover and simmer on low for forty-five minutes or until the chicken is fork tender. Remove chicken and nectarines to separate plates or bowls. Turn up heat on pan sauce, and reduce the broth to a thick glaze. Remove from heat, and add another ounce of spiced rum to loosen it, and add more butter if it needs it. To serve, slice the chicken on the plate, top with nectarines, and pour the sauce so that it covers everything.
That's it. Six ingredients. The hardest part was waiting. I served it with a baked sweet potato (photographed before I covered it in pumpkin pie-type spices) and a power green salad. And I am totally going to make this again (and again and again...)
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