A couple of simple ingredients and 25 minutes is all it takes to enjoy this rosemary peach chicken skillet. Fresh rosemary, lemon, sweet peaches and juicy chicken will win your heart and your taste buds. Also, it’s a great idea for a mid-week dinner, main course, party and many more.
OMG. Did you see this combination? Just divine! Bacon, peach, rosemary and lemon. Flavours with more flavours on top. Wink. The last days of August are a good chance to grab some of the last sweet peaches of the season and make a delicious and stunning dish like this one.
I love to use fruits in different dishes, not just when making pies and cakes. They pair so good with meat and salads. Yummy. In fact, I included them in some of my recipes, such as peach-bacon American pancakes, a classic peach pork chops or peach-bacon salad. And, if you noticed, almost always, next to the peach you’ll find bacon. Wink.
Bacon…I can’t help it. Bacon simply pairs with everything. Also in this recipe, you start with bacon, cooking it until curled and crispy. Consequently, you’ll get that lovely and flavorful bacon grease left in the pan, which is perfect to saute the chicken in. Yummy! That’s a hell of a flavour!
Furthermore, for another great flavour addition to this dish, I picked wine, rosemary and lemon. Since chicken pairs well with white wine, I decided on Pinot Grigio. Adding wine to the skillet and letting it simmer for a while will enhance the flavour of the sauce and of the dish. Of course, you can substitute the wine with grape juice, too.
What would a chicken be without rosemary? Just a chicken, I guess. While with rosemary the chicken transforms into a wonderfully aromatic dish. Wink. In fact, rosemary, being one of the most aromatic herbs, has a pronounced lemon-pine flavour, which brings you directly to the Mediterranean coast. Wink.
Additionally, you can use rosemary not only with chicken but also in soups, stews, drinks and baked goods. It’s also a great source of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which help strengthening the memory. That’s cool! For lovely rosemary recipes, check out this Mediterranean sun-dried tomato and rosemary bread.
And then, last but not least, we have a lemon. Lemons are way more than just lemonade. Wink. Try to include lemon zest (lime or orange zest as well) to your dishes. It will bring so much more aroma and freshness to your meals. Plus, you’ll give a nutritional boost with vitamins, minerals and fiber, to your body. For a dish packed with lemon, jump to the lemon risotto recipe.
And as the last thing, I shouldn’t forget the cheese. I used mozzarella, but you can pick any cheese you like most. Having said that, I would still recommend a cheese that melts semi-fast and becomes gooey yet not disappears in the sauce.
Ingredients for 2-3 portions of rosemary peach chicken:
- 2-3 sprigs of rosemary (chopped)
- 1 lemon (zest)
- 400 g chicken breast (cut into 4 cm pieces)
- olive oil
- 2 Tbsp of flour (or enough to dust)
- 4-5 bacon strips
- 200 ml white wine (or white grape juice)
- 100 ml of water
- 2-3 peaches (white or yellow, halved or quartered)
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 1 mozzarella
To begin, wash and zest the lemon and finely chop the rosemary. Then, using your hands, spread some oil over the chicken and rub in the rosemary-lemon zest combo. Last but not least, coat the chicken with flour on all sides.
In a larger ovenproof skillet, prepare the bacon. Lay the bacon strips in a still cold skillet and turn on the heat. Once the bacon turns crispy and curls up, transfer it onto a paper towel.
Furthermore, using the same skillet, including the flavourful bacon fat left in it, gently shake the excess flour off the chicken and then place the chicken in the skillet. Brown it on both sides.
Meanwhile, wash and halve or quarter the peaches. Simply do a cut around the pit, then, holding the halves with your hands, twist, open and remove the pit.
Preheat the oven to 220º C. Once the chicken is golden brown, add the wine and water to the skillet and bring to a light simmer. Give it a little shake and add the peaches, by simply tucking them in the free spaces between the chicken pieces.
Let it simmer for 7-10 more minutes. At this point, drizzle the honey over the chicken and peaches, add the bacon and tuck in smaller mozzarella pieces. Top with more fresh rosemary and put in the oven until the chicken gets crispy, the sauce starts to bubble and the mozzarella melts.
Finally, for a great presentation, serve the rosemary peach chicken directly in a skillet, wearing your favourite oven-mittens. Wink. Make sure to spoon some of the delicious wine sauce on each plate and to add some more fresh lemon zest on top. You can serve it along with some smashed potatoes or a slice of sourdough bread, too. This is a heart-warming meal, perfect for everyone.
Enjoy!
