Chicken Breasts Poached in Tomato Sauce
1/2 cup dry vermouth or dry white wine
1/2 cup (125 ml) tomato juice
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped fresh tarragon, or 1 tsp (5 ml) dried
1 bay (laurel) leaf
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/4 cup (60 ml) heavy cream or half-and-half
1 tsp (5 ml) tomato paste
1 large tomato, seeded and diced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Combine the vermouth, tomato juice, tarragon, and bay leaf in a
saucepan. Bring to a boil and add the chicken breasts, adding enough
additional liquid to completely cover the chicken if necessary.
Reduce the heat and simmer tightly covered for 20 minutes. Remove the
chicken and bring the sauce to a boil over moderate heat. Stir in the
cream and tomato paste and reduce the sauce to about half its volume.
Add the diced tomato for the last 2 minutes and season with salt and
pepper. Discard the bay leaf and spoon the sauce over the chicken
immediately prior to serving. Serves 2.