French Scaloppini Chicken with Grilled Fennel and Asparagus

Plan Z Phase: This is a Z2 (ZReduction) recipe.

Servings: Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 pound of chicken breasts cut scaloppini-style. Your butcher can cut these for you, some grocery stores carry them already cut, or you can use a sharp knife and cut the breast horizontally into thin slices. In each case you will have thinly sliced chicken breasts with no skin. Reason to do this, if you can, is the thin slices cook much faster, and this way you get two or three slices; which makes you feel like you are eating more.
  • 1-2  tsp of fresh tarragon, minced. Amount depends on taste
  • light sprinkle of garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tbl of organic chicken broth.
  • 2 fennel bulbs, cut in half and lightly oiled. If you don’t know how to prep fennel, see below.
  • 2 cups of asparagus. Cut the spears into the top three inch sections. Save the rest for another use.

Instructions:

Take your breast slices and lightly oil them.  Sprinkle with salt, pepper, garlic powder and tarragon.

Heat sauté pan and put them in, seasoned side down. Cook for 3 minutes on medium high until  the chicken is lightly browned on that side. Turn over and continue to cook on medium until chicken is cooked through. When you turn over, add the chicken broth to keep the chicken moist. If it cooks off completely, you can add a bit more. This probably will only take about 5 minutes more. If the breasts are not in thin slices this will take considerably longer. The juice left in the bottom can be drizzled over the chicken at the end.

Lightly oil and season the fennel halves and the asparagus with salt and pepper. Use your grill pan and grill the fennel until the open side has grill marks and the asparagus will have grill marks too. Cook until each is done to your liking. I like mine crisp-tender. This should only take about 4 minutes also on medium high.

Prepping fennel:  Fennel comes with all kinds of anise-scented fronds on the top. You are going to cut those off and just eat the bottom, white part.  Cut the fennel in half from top to bottom. This way the halves wills stay intact so you can cook them. Wash off any dirty bits or remove the outside layer if you have to before you begin.

Enjoy!

Cheers,