Balsamic Chicken Breasts with Couscous
A Recipe that is Healthy, Easy, Quick, and Fit for a Gourmet
Oct 16, 2009
The key to success for this simple but elegant recipe is ensuring the chicken is not overcooked. That culinary faux pas spells dry and chewy, and no amount of sauce will completely rectify the situation.
A good quality balsamic vinegar is also needed, as it is a dominant ingredient, and an inferior one will not deliver the sweet-tart balance the sauce should have.
Couscous Information
Many just associate couscous (koos’-koos) with a traditional northwest African stew with numerous vegetables and meats. But it is also the generic name for what is actually a pasta made with semolina and formed into granules. It can also be made with corn, barley, or millet.
In north African and eastern Arab countries where couscous is embedded in the national cuisine, cooks steam the couscous in a special pot called a couscoussier. Steaming is a fairly time-consuming process, but results in couscous at its best. In the U.S., couscous is generally sold pre-steamed and dried, and needs only boiling water to reconstitute it. This is a still a very tasty alternative, and is a boon for those whose time in the kitchen is limited.
Nutritional Facts
One cup of cooked couscous has 176 calories, 36g carbohydrate, 91mg potassium, 2g fiber, and 6gm protein. Four ounces of boneless, skinless chicken breast has about 160 calories, 23g protein, 2.5g total fat, 0.5gm saturated fat, and 65mg cholesterol. A complete nutritional breakdown can be found for the chicken, couscous, and other recipe ingredients in the USDA National Nutrient Database.
Balsamic Chicken Breasts with Couscous
Ingredients:
- 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
Marinade/sauce:
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 2/3 cup balsamic vinegar
- 4 large cloves minced garlic
- ¼ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- salt, pepper (to taste)
Couscous:
- 10-oz box plain couscous
- chicken stock (equivalent to the water required in box directions)
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- 1½ tablespoons butter
Directions:
- Mix chicken stock, balsamic vinegar, garlic, sugar, thyme, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Place chicken breasts in a shallow dish just large enough to hold them in a single layer and pour marinade over them. Let them sit at room temperature ~10 minutes, turning once.
- Heat a heavy 12” or larger sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the butter and olive oil, and sauté the chicken breasts over medium heat for 3-4 minutes per side (they do not have to brown). Pour the marinade over them, bring to a simmer, and cook another 10 minutes turning once.
- At this point, check for doneness by making a small cut into a breast with a small, sharp knife. They should be removed from the pan when there is still a slight trace of pink in the center. They will continue to cook off heat. Cover and keep warm. Bring the marinade back to a boil, and cook until syrupy, about 10 minutes.
- While the marinade boils, prepare the whole box of couscous. Follow the box directions, with these differences: Use chicken stock instead of the water the box calls for, add the thyme to the water before boiling, and use 1½ tablespoons of butter.
- To serve: place a chicken breast on top of each individual serving of couscous and spoon on some marinade.
Sources:
Davidson, Alan. The Oxford Companion to Food. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999.
Herbst, Sharon Tyler. Food Lover’s Companion: Comprehensive Definitions of Nearly 6000 Food, Drink, and Culinary Terms, 3rd Ed Hauppauge, New York: Barron’s Educational Series, Inc., 2001.
Madison, Deborah. Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. New York: Broadway Books, 1997.
Rombauer, Irma S., Marion Rombauer Becker, and Ethan Becker. Joy of Cooking. New York: Scribner, 2006.
Somerville, Annie. Everyday Greens: Home Cooking from Greens, the Celebrated Vegetarian Restaurant. New York, Scribner, 2003.
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