This dish's classic mix, a mirepoix of onions, carrots, and celery, cooks down and becomes delightfully creamy and caramelized. The wine’s acidity balances the vegetables’ hint of sweetness.

I served the chicken with two sides: a simple roasted broccoli (recipe below) and a bean “cassoulet” made with basil pesto and chopped tomato.

Scroll down to see the wine I paired with the dish. Surprisingly, it wasn’t white!

Ingredients

4 chicken breasts, skin-on, bone-in

salt and pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 carrots, cut into 1/2” pieces

2 stalks celery, cut into 1/2” pieces

8-10 fresh sage leaves, chopped (plus extra for garnish)

4 sprigs thyme

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup white wine (Note: any dry wine can be substituted—red, or, as I did, orange)

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.

2) Heat olive oil in a large oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken breasts, skin side down, and sear until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Then, flip and sear the other side for an additional 4-5 minutes. Remove chicken from skillet and set aside.

3) In the same skillet, add a bit more olive oil if needed, then add chopped onions, carrots, celery, sage, and thyme. Sauté until vegetables are slightly caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Pour in the wine, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon. Let the wine cook down for about 3-5 minutes.

4) Add chicken broth to skillet and bring mixture to a simmer. Return chicken breasts to skillet, skin side up, and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast for about 20-35 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

5) Once the chicken is done, remove skillet from oven and let rest for a few minutes. Serve chicken with roasted broccoli, garnished with additional chopped sage.

For the Broccoli

While chicken is roasting, toss the broccoli florets with olive oil, salt, and pepper on a baking sheet.
Roast in 375°F oven 15-20 minutes or until broccoli is tender and slightly caramelized.

Typically, I would have poured a white or orange wine with this dish, but I happened to have this tasty Malbec open, so I figured, let’s give it a try. It was perfect.

Domaine Bousquet’s Virgen Malbec, sourced from the Tupungato Valley in Argentina's Mendoza region, is certified organic, vegan, and sulfite-free. Medium-bodied with vibrant but not overdone fruit flavors—think blackberry and blueberry—an earthy savoriness and dusty tannins temper its fruit notes.