Chicken With Romesco Sauce

This is a traditional sauce from the Catalonia region of Spain, usually made with almonds, garlic, roasted tomatoes, mint and fennel! This sauce is exceptional with poultry,seafood,fish even pasta!

• Ready In: 1 hr 45 mins
• Serves: 2

Ingredients

• For the sauce

• 6  roma tomatoes, halved
• 1  red bell pepper
• 1  onion, halved
• 4  garlic cloves
• 1  ancho chili, seeded and steamed
• 1⁄4 cup olive oil
• 1  sprig fresh thyme
• 1⁄2 cup pine nuts
• 1  tablespoon sherry wine vinegar
• 1⁄2 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt

• For The Chicken

• 16  ounces  whole chicken breasts, wing tips removed
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon pepper
• 1  tablespoon  chopped fine herbs like basil, parsley, cilantro
• 1  teaspoon  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  tablespoons lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon butter

Directions

1. Make the sauce first: Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl add tomatoes, red pepper,onion,garlic, chile and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place the mixture in a glass casserole dish, cook in the oven for 20 minutes.Remove the chile and set aside.
2. Roast the remaining vegetables for 30 more minutes.When cool enough to handle,remove the skins and seed from the tomatoes,bell pepper and chile.Place all the vegetables and thyme in a food processor, pulse until chunky. Add pine nuts and pulse for 10 seconds,add 1/4 cup olive oil,vinegar,paprika,salt and pepper. Pulse again for 5 seconds to mix.Refrigerate for 2 hours. This will keep for 5 days in a sealed type jar.
3. For the Chicken: Season the chicken with salt,pepper and herbs. In a large skillet or sauce pan that can be put in the oven, heat olive oil over medium heat,add chicken breasts skin side down for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Turn the breast over and put the pan in the oven for 8 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Remove the chicken and set aside to cool a little. On the stove using the same pan over medium heat, deglaze with wine. Add lemon juice and cook 10-15 seconds. Take the pan off the heat, add butter making sure it is melted.
5. Ladle the Romesco Sauce in the center of the plate, place chicken on top of the sauce then pour the lemon wine sauce over the chicken.