Tomato Braised Chicken w/ Green Beans & Savory

See recipe description for remaining ingredients needed.

To make fresh tomato puree start by making a shallow "X" on the bottom of the tomato.

Drop each tomato in rapidly boiling water for 10 seconds. Remove and immediately submerge in ice water bath.

Remove tomatoes from ice bath after 10 seconds. Start at the "X" spot to peel skins off tomato. Remove seeds and pulse in a blender or food processor very briefly until roughly pureed with a pinch of salt, pepper, and half the thyme.

(If you remove seeds and dice tomatoes, you have tomato concasse)

Toss chicken chicken breasts with enough oil to coat. Season with oregano, coriander seed, kosher salt, and freshly cracked black pepper.

Heat a medium sized, tall saute pan with enough oil to cover the bottom. Sear chicken on both sides. (When you are flipping the chicken move to a spot in the pan that does not yet have fond on the bottom)...fond are the brown tiny bits on the pan left after searing. Translates to "pan sauce" in French.

Remove chicken from pan and set aside.

Add celery and green beans. Season with thyme and half of the savory. Saute 1 minute. Add garlic. Saute 30 seconds.

Add worcestershire and deglaze the pan by scraping up the fond with a wooden spoon. Reduce until dry, or "au sec".

Add sherry. Reduce by 1/2.

Add tomato puree. Bring to a simmer. Lay chicken in center. Liquid should not rise more than 3/4 height of chicken breast. Do not shake pan.

Cover. Cook for approximately 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink amd juices run clear. Use the "pressure test" to determine doneness. We don't use thermometers for braised meats.

Put vegetable stock, rice, 1 T butter, half the savory, and a pinch of salt in a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer. Cover. Simmer 15 minutes. Take off heat, but do not remove cover. Let steam 5-8 minutes.

Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining savory. Monte au buerre.. (Mount the butter) by stirring butter into sauce while vigorously shaking the pan at the same time.

Serve atop rice in a bowl. Garnish with celery leaf and chopped parsley.

Variations; Roasted bell peppers or garlic, roasted tomatoes, chives, onions, asparagus, shallots, celery seed, white beans, corn, capers, paprika, parmesean, romano, gruyere, spinach, arugula, watercress, mushrooms, scallions, zucchini, red wine, red wine vinegar, balsamic, almonds, rice wine vinegar