Ingredients:
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, stripped from stems
4 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. stone-ground Creole mustard
* Some red pepper flakes would be great in here too!
** This recipe would also be great using centre cut pork loin chops!
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat a large black iron skillet (or heavy, oven-proof skillet) over medium-high heat. Add oil and swirl to coat. Sprinkle chicken liberally with cracked black pepper and kosher salt. Add chicken to pan and sauté for 3 – 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. The meat should release easily from the pan when ready. Remove the chicken from the pan.
Add chicken broth to the pan to deglaze. Then add syrup, thyme, and garlic to the pan. Bring this all to a boil, scraping up the browned bits at the bottom of the skillet. Cook 2 – 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add vinegar and mustard to the sauce. Cook for 1 minutes, stirring constantly.
Return the chicken to the sauce and spoon the maple-mustard glaze over the breasts. Bake uncovered at 400 degrees F until internal thermometer reads 160 degrees (about 11 minutes). Remove chicken from the pan and let them sit for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, place the pan back over medium heat and cook the maple-mustard sauce another 2 minutes or until it is syrupy, stirring frequently. Serve the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with a sprig of thyme.
Enjoy, Dean Stefanic