Sautéed Chicken with Figs in Port Wine Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup beef broth 
• 0.3 teaspoon pepper black freshly ground
• 4  chicken breasts boneless skin on
• 1 cup calimyrna figs dried stemmed quartered
• 0.5 cup flour all-purpose
• 2 teaspoons thyme leaves fresh minced
• 3 tablespoons olive oil 
• 0.5 cup tawny port 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 0.3 cup shallots minced
• 4 servings garnish: thyme fresh
• 2 tablespoons butter unsalted

Equipment

• food processor
• frying pan
• paper towels
• sieve
• slotted spoon

Directions

1. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Season chicken with thyme, salt, and pepper. Dredge in flour.
3. Add chicken to skillet, skin side down; reduce heat to medium, and cook 16 minutes or until skin is browned. Turn and cook 5 minutes or until browned.
4. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm. Discard pan drippings.
5. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat.
6. Add figs and shallots; saut 3 minutes or until shallots are tender.
7. Add port; bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute; add beef broth, reduce heat, and simmer 3 minutes.
8. Remove half of figs from skillet using a slotted spoon; keep warm with chicken. Process remaining figs and sauce in a food processor until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides as needed.
9. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer back into the skillet, discarding pulp and seeds. Return chicken and figs to sauce, and heat over medium-high heat 9 minutes or until chicken is done.
10. Drizzle with vinegar, if desired.
11. Cut chicken diagonally across the grain into thin strips.
12. Serve sauce over chicken and figs.
13. Garnish, if desired.