Tomato-butter chicken with roasted tomatoes

Roasted fresh tomatoes and a tomato-flavoured butter are the secrets to great flavour in this easy chicken dinner.

Credit: Mary Makes It Easy

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

Butter

• 2-4 large tomatoes, seeded and diced (about 2 cups)
• 1 cup (227 g) butter, room temperature
• 3 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp chopped oregano
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Chicken

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 4 boneless chicken breasts, skinless or skin-on
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, skin on
• ½ cup (113 g) tomato butter
• 4 small bunches cherry tomatoes on the vine (or chopped tomato – see Note)
• ½ lemon
• 3 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp chopped oregano
• Crusty bread, for serving

Cooling time: 15 minutes.

You will have some leftover tomato butter after making this dish. It can be frozen for several months.

Instructions

1. Set your grill (broiler) to high, add the diced tomatoes to a baking pan, and grill (broil) for 10 minutes or until lightly charred. Set aside and allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.
2. When cool, transfer the tomatoes and any juices to the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the food processor along with the parsley and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Blitz for about 20 seconds or until smooth and well combined. Set ½ cup of the tomato butter aside for the chicken. Transfer the remaining butter to a container or shape into a log and wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
3. Heat your oven to 200°C (400°F) and place a large cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. Add the olive oil to heat and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken into the pan skin-side down as well as the whole garlic cloves and sear until the chicken is golden brown, about 5 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat, flip the chicken over, and dollop about 1½ tablespoons of butter onto each chicken breast. Nestle in the tomatoes on the vine, season with salt and pepper, and transfer the pan to the oven for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through to 74°C (165°F).
5. Set the chicken aside to rest for 5 minutes before squeezing over the lemon and scattering with parsley and oregano.

Note

• If you do not have cherry tomatoes to nestle in with the chicken, any roughly chopped and seeded tomatoes will work in their place.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.