Pan-Seared Chicken Breasts with Jamaican Curry

• Recipe by Marcia Kiesel

This Jamaican curry gets its heat from Scotch bonnet chiles; Marcia Kiesel’s stripped-down version relies on a Scotch bonnet hot sauce and curry powder. Try low-alcohol wines with spicy foods (see our 7 Rules for Perfect Pairing).

Ingredients

CHICKEN MARINADE

1. 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2. 1 scallion, minced
3. 2 teaspoons curry powder
4. 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
5. 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
6. 1/2 teaspoon Scotch bonnet hot sauce (see Note)
7. Four 6-ounce boneless chicken breast halves, with skin

CURRY

1. Salt and freshly ground pepper
2. 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3. 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
4. 1 scallion, thinly sliced
5. 1 teaspoon curry powder
6. 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
7. 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
8. 1/2 teaspoon Scotch bonnet hot sauce
9. 1 1/2 cups water
10. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

1. MARINATE THE CHICKEN: In a shallow dish, combine the oil with the scallion, curry powder, ginger, allspice and hot sauce. Add the chicken breasts and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
2. MAKE THE CURRY: Remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down. Cook over moderately high heat until the skin browns, 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to moderate and cook until the skin is crisp, about 4 minutes longer. Reduce the heat to low, turn the chicken and cook until white throughout, 7 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter.
3. Add the onion to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 minutes. Stir in the scallion, curry, ginger, allspice and hot sauce and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 5 minutes. Add the water and bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Cook until the sauce has reduced to about » cup, 5 minutes.
4. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin side up, and simmer until heated through, about 2 minutes. Transfer the chicken to plates. Stir the butter into the curry sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the breasts and serve with the Sliced Salad on the side.

Notes

Scotch bonnet hot sauce is available online at hotsauce.com.