Lunch / Dinner
Chicken with Figs & Pistachios
Salty pistachios, chewy dried figs, briny olives, and sweet Italian wine unite for a chunky sauce that has huge flavor.
Found throughout southern Europe, Asia, and Africa, figs have been cultivated since ancient times, when they were considered a symbol of peace and prosperity. With their soft flesh, sweet flavor, and the delicate crunch that comes from their tiny, edible seeds, it’s no wonder they were once thought to be sacred.
Dried figs are much more accessible than fresh. Soak them in sweet white wine to bring out their flavor, then pair them with pistachios and break them down into a sweet-and-savory sauce that really stands out. Pistachios add a salty crunch that complements the sweetness, and more nuts in the side dish tie the meal together.
Ingredients
SOAK:
SEASON:
HEAT:
Test Kitchen Tip
Any sweet wine, like Moscato or Riesling, works for this sauce. Italian Moscato is “frizzante,” or sparkling, while Californian varieties are still, not bubbly
Instructions
Soak figs in wine in a small bowl while cooking chicken.
Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour.
Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high. Add chicken and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, flip chicken, and sauté until cooked through, about 6 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Drain figs, reserving wine. Add figs, shallots, and olives to pan; cook, stirring often, until shallots begin to soften, about 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with reserved wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until wine has reduced by half.
Stir in pistachios. Add chicken and any accumulated juices back to pan just to heat through.
Serve chicken with sauce.
Soak the dried figs in wine so they plump a bit, absorbing moisture and some sweetness from the wine.
To give the chicken golden brown color and to add body to the sauce, dredge the chicken in flour.
Deglaze the pan with the fig-infused wine. To add flavor, scrape up any browned bits from the chicken.
Nutritional Facts
Nutritional Facts
Per serving
Calories: 565
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 36%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Cholesterol 109mg 36%
Sodium 356mg 14%
Carbs 44g 14%
Fiber 7g 28%
Protein 42g
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.