The Bachelor & The Chick

I perched on the edge of a paint-splattered stool in a tiny yellow kitchen. A small tray filled with cheese and crackers sat in front of me, and I idly indulged in the new-to-me luxury of oozingly warm, creamy brie.

My date had his back to me. Opened cans were spread across the limited counter space, and we chatted while he chopped and minced tomatoes, olives and garlic. A gleaming silver pan held a spreading pool of oil, heating slowly on the stove top. After a single green onion plopped in provided a satisfying pop, he added the rest, along with a fragrant burst of garlic.

He paused for a sip of wine and a sly smile. "This is the first meal that I made up," he explained while washing his hands. Opening a package of chicken breasts, he continued: "Everybody should know how to make a few good meals. This one's easy, pretty cheap and tastes great."

The chicken breasts were dredged in seasoned flour, then added to the now sizzling oil. In a few minutes time, they'd nicely browned. He put them off to the side, then poured in some wine. It sputtered for moment, then bubbled enthusiastically, releasing something tantalizing into the air with the quick scraping of a wooden spoon.

In went the remaining melange of ingredients. The tomatoes were roughly mashed, and the scent changed again, increasingly complex. We continued chatting as he cleaned up. The chicken breasts were at last added back to the sauce, and he covered each with a fat wedge of feta, crumbling the rest into the pan. Once the crumbles were mixed in, he dropped the heat down to low, then covered it all up.

I'd never had a guy cook for me before, and had certainly never seen it done with this much casual confidence. If the scent in the air was any indication, it was going to be one remarkable evening with this dude Dave.

Bachelor's Mediterranean-Style Chicken

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
flour, for dredging
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups white wine
½ (11.1 ounce) jar pitted kalamata olives, roughly chopped
4 medium tomatoes, chopped
6-8 ounces whole feta, thickly sliced lengthwise

Dredge chicken breasts in flour seasoned with the salt and pepper: shake off excess.
Add olive oil and butter to medium deep skillet over medium heat until combined.
Add the garlic and scallions, cooking until just golden, then raise heat to medium-high.
Saute chicken breasts in pan until lightly browned on both sides: remove to the side.
Deglaze pan with 1 1/2 cups white wine, scraping any blackened bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon.
Add the chicken breasts back to the skillet, along with the olives and tomatoes.
Cook uncovered over medium heat, flipping once, for about 10 minutes, until mixture is slightly reduced.
Place slices of feta over each breast, and crumble any excess into the sauce.
Ladle a bit of the sauce over the feta; cover, and reduce heat to medium low.
Let simmer about 15 minutes, until ready.

Please see this posting for further serving suggestions.