Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Garlic-Sherry Sauce

This recipe comes from a recipe book created by the editors of Cook's Illustrated, entitled The New Best Recipes. It is now one of our favorites and every time I make it for guests, they rave about it. It's not that hard to make, but it tastes quite gourmet. To feed my husband, me, and our two small kids, I usually half the chicken portion using only 2 split chicken breasts, brining in 1 quart of water/salt solution. However, I do make the full recipe of the sauce since it doesn't make that much after it simmers down.

Chicken (I usually half this portion)

4 split chicken breasts with skin

1/2 cup salt

2 quarts cold water

black pepper to taste

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

Garlic-Sherry Sauce (I make this full portion)

4-6 garlic cloves cut crosswise into very thin slices

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup dry sherry (I use sherry cooking wine found near the vinegar and salad dressings)

2 sprig fresh thyme (I use a dash of dry thyme since I don't keep fresh thyme on hand)

3 tablespoons butter, cut into 3 pieces

1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

1. For the chicken: Dissolve the salt into the water in a large bowl. Immerse the chicken in the brine, cover and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken from the brine, rinse under cold water, and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken with pepper.

2. Adjust the oven rack to the lowest position and heat the oven to 450 degrees.

3. Heat oil in a 10 or 12 inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Swirl the skillet to coat with the oil. Brown the chicken, skin-side down, until deep golden, about 5 minutes; turn the chicken and brown until golden on the second side, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken skin-side down and place the skillet in the oven. Roast 15-18 minutes. (The juices should run clear when the chicken is cut and the thickest part of the breast registers 160 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.)

Using an oven mitt or potholder, remove skillet from oven. Keep oven mitt on hot handle so you don't accidently burn yourself when you handle the skillet later. Transfer the chicken to the platter and let rest while making the sauce.

4. For the sauce: Still using the oven mitt, pour off most of the fat from the skillet; add the garlic slices, then set the skillet over medium-high heat and cook, stirring frequently until the garlic is lightly browned, about 1 1/2 minutes. Add the chicken broth, sherry and thyme, increase the heat to high, and simmer rapidly about 5 minutes, scraping the skillet bottom with a wodden spoon to loosen the browned bits, until slightly thickened and reduced to about 3/4 cup. Pour the accumulated chicken juices into the skillet, reduce the heat to medium, and whisk in the butter, one piece at a time, until incorporated. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard the thyme if you used a fresh sprig. Spoon the sauce around the chicken breast and serve immediately.