Pan Fried Chicken Breast

Lots of recipes call for cooked chicken and it makes a great starting point for many dinners and lunches. Although in the scheme of things, a chicken breast can be fairly flavourless, it makes a good vehicle for other more adventurous flavours.

Chicken breasts are very versatile and can be cooked in a number of ways. They can be poached, roasted, grilled, and bbq’d. In this recipe I show how to pan fry a chicken breast in a frying pan with a little butter and some thyme. You could leave the thyme out or use rosemary instead.

(You can use oil instead of butter if you prefer, or a combination of butter and oil. Butter imparts a lovely flavour but has a lower smoke point than most oils. This means that you need to cook at a lower temperature or the butter will burn and the chicken will have a nasty taste).

1. Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking so that it is at room temperature.
2. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat until it is foaming.
   
3. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper on both sides of the chicken breast and put it into the butter along with the thyme sprigs.
   
4. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes without moving it then lift the chicken with some tongs or a fork to check the pan side is golden brown. If it is, turn the chicken over and cook the other side for 5 minutes, basting the chicken now and again with the thyme flavoured butter. (i.e. tilt the pan and using a spoon, pour spoonfuls of the butter over the top of the chicken breast). If the chicken is not quite golden give it a further minute or so.
   
5. When the chicken is golden brown on both sides, lift it onto a board or plate and let it rest for at least 5 minutes. This will allow the juices to distribute evenly through the breast and keep it nice and moist.