Wine Pairing: Lemon Chicken with Unionville Vineyards Classic Chardonnay

October 25, 2014

Unionville Vineyard's Classic Chardonnay is unlike any other Chardonnay, East coast or West. Cameron Stark ferments and ages the Chardonnay in neutral French oak barrels, which add only subtle hints and allow the wines to express the fruit rather that the wood. Rich citrus and creamy butterscotch notes dominate, with hints of oak. The Classic Chardonnay pairs well with most chicken recipes, but it pairs particularly well when it highlights the lemon and herb notes in our Lemon Chicken recipe. Prepare the Amaretto Green Beans as a fresh green side. Together, with a bottle of the Classic Chardonnay, you have a complete meal, perfect for your next dinner party or date night. 

 

 

Lemon Chicken with Artichokes, Capers, and Potatoes 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, butterflied, rinsed & dried
• 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 4 tablespoons of butter or margarine 
• 2 tablespoon ground or fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons orange zest 
• 3 tablespoons Montreal Chicken Seasoning
• 14 oz can of quartered artichoke hearts
• ¼ cup of capers
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
• 3/4 cup Unionville Chardonnay *place the remaining bottle in the fridge to serve with dinner
• 2-3 lbs of red skinned potatoes cut into 1 inch slices

Directions

1. Mix together salt, pepper, 1 tablespoon thyme, 1 tablespoon orange peel, and Montreal seasoning. Season chicken with dry mix and set aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat.
3. Cook the chicken for 2–3 minutes per side or until browned. Remove from pan and set aside 
4. Add artichokes and cook for 1–2 minutes on each side. Add garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add stock, Unionville Chardonnay, lemon juice, thyme, capers, 1 tablespoon thyme, and 1 tablespoon orange peel. Stir and bring to a boil. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Add potatoes and return to a boil. Add chicken, cover, and reduce heat to medium.
6. Cook for 12–15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are tender. Place chicken and potatoes on a platter. Add remaining butter to sauce and whisk. Pour one cup of sauce over chicken. Place the remaining sauce in a gravy boat and serve on the side. 

Amaretto Green Beans Almandine

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. green beans, trimmed and halved 
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine 
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ cup slivered almonds
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped 
• 3 tablespoons of Amaretto
• Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Directions

1. Cook green beans, steam or boil, for 3-5 minutes. When done, they should still be bright green and have a little snap. Drain and rinse under cold water immediately to cool and stop the cooking process. 
2. To toast almonds, preheat oven to 350F. Lay almonds in a single layer on a roasting pan and place in the preheated oven. Every 5 minutes remove the pan and shake. When the almonds are nice and brown remove them from the oven to cool. The entire process should take 10-15 minutes. Keep a watchful eye, they go from browned to burned quickly.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until lightly browned. Add Amaretto stirring constantly until fragrant, about 40 seconds.
4. Increase heat to medium high, add green beans. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, tossing occasionally to coat green beans in the sauce
5. Salt and pepper to taste and transfer to platter
   
6. Sprinkle toasted almonds on top and serve as a side 

Recipe, photos, and the drool at the corner of your mouth, courtesy of Jim, Tasting Room Associate at Unionville Vineyards

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