Make This Chicken and They’ll Want to Marry You - The Famous 'Marry Me Chicken' Recipe!
My grandfather proposed to my grandmother on the..
Legend has it that this chicken dish leads to marriage proposals... Whether it's the taste or the magical alchemy of love hidden in the mixture of sun-dried tomatoes, herbs and cream, the legend doesn't reveal. But it does show how simple, practical ingredients can make you feel very good.
When it comes to marriage proposals, it always feels like a revelatory, pivotal moment in life... Even if it is a simple, well-planned and long-awaited proposal during a Christmas dinner or a holiday trip. My grandfather proposed to my grandmother on the commuter train on the way from a potato field. One of my friends received a ring delivered by courier to her home address with a long, apologetic love letter from someone who lived far away and had finally made up his mind about where their relationship should go. But the funniest proposal story I heard came from our neighbors here in Florida. They both love scuba diving. So to surprise his fiancée-to-be, Isabelle, our neighbor Sean secretly joined her on one of her dives in California. She was alone and didn't expect anyone to be there -- but while she was a few meters underwater, she suddenly saw another diver following her relentlessly. On top of that, when the diver was already quite close to her, Isabelle saw a small poster in his hands with the question "Will you marry me?” As Sean was almost unrecognizable in all his gear, Isabelle was terrified and rushed to the surface... Back on the boat, she saw her underwater stalker emerge from the depths and realized it was Sean. Still holding the “will you marry me” poster… They’ve been married for seven years.
I love hearing the proposal stories! The more the better. Simple or complicated, scary, romantic, mysterious... Please, if you know some, share them with me!
INGREDIENTS:
3 chicken breasts (boneless and skinless)
Salt and black pepper
1/4 cup / 30g flour
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Red pepper flakes
1 cup / 240ml low-sodium chicken stock
1/3 cup / 17g sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
Fresh basil
3/4 cup / 180ml heavy cream
1/2 cup / 45g grated Parmesan cheese
Kitchen utensils: frying pan, spatula, plate for dusting with flour, cheese grater, knife and chopping board.
Method:
Start by making light checkerboard cuts in the surface of 3 chicken breasts. Make sure you don't cut too deep - just halfway through.
Season the chicken with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
Put ¼ cup (30g) flour on a plate and coat the chicken breasts on both sides. You can shake the breasts a little to remove any excess flour.
Cook the chicken in the frying pan over a medium heat until nicely crisped and caramelized, about 4-5 minutes on each side. When cooked, transfer the chicken onto the plate.
Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic.
In the same frying pan, sauté the garlic for one minute or until fragrant.
Add 1 cup (240ml) chicken stock and bring to the boil, scraping all the juices that stick to the bottom. Pour in ¾ cup (180ml) heavy cream and grate ½ cup (45g) Parmesan cheese. Mix well with a spatula and simmer over a medium to low heat for 2-3 minutes.
Season with ½ teaspoon dried oregano and thyme and ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes. Add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.
Chop ⅓ cup (17g) of the sun-dried tomatoes and add to the sauce. Stir well.
Return the chicken to the pan and cook in the sauce for a further 4 minutes.
Add a few finely chopped basil leaves towards the end.
🖨️ Printable recipe (PDF):
Notes:
The spices: In this recipe, we use Italian seasoning such as oregano, thyme and a little fresh basil to enhance the wonderful flavor of the sun-dried tomatoes. Rosemary, parsley, coriander, Provencal herbs would all work well. If you want to deepen the color of the sauce and add some sweetness, you can use ½ teaspoon of paprika. You can also sprinkle a little lemon zest on top for a bit of freshness.
Leftovers: The chicken will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a saucepan over medium-low heat.
Serving suggestions: Would be perfect with absolutely anything, pasta, mashed potatoes, salad... and why not some fried rice, "riz pilaf" as they call it in France? To make it, finely chop ½ onion and sauté in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over a medium heat until golden brown, add ½ grated carrot, a little celery if you like. Cook until the vegetables are soft. Add 1 ½ cups basmati rice and cook, stirring regularly, for about 1 minute or until the rice becomes slightly translucent. Pour in 1 ½ cups water or chicken/vegetable/beef stock if you have it. DO NOT stir, cover and cook in the oven at 180C/360F for about 7-8 minutes or until the rice has absorbed all the water.
Chicken stock: I've said many times that it's important to use a good stock in the sauces. Here is a quick recipe for making your own chicken stock at home, which you can then freeze and use whenever you need it.
There are also many good ready-made ones in the shops.
Substitutions:
Sun-dried tomatoes: A viewer asked me on my YouTube channel if we could use fresh tomatoes in this dish? And yes, we can! The cooking method will be slightly different. You can use cherry tomatoes or large chopped tomatoes. Just after you have pre-cooked the garlic, fry them on a medium heat, until the juices come out and evaporate slightly and the tomatoes start to caramelize.
This will take about 5 minutes. Then add the stock and repeat all the other steps, omitting the sun-dried tomatoes, of course.
If you want to avoid tomatoes altogether, add roasted peppers instead. They have a strong, distinctive flavor when roasted and are a great addition to the creamy sauce.
Or, if you are a fan of olives and capers, you go for them. They also have that spicy, salty Mediterranean flavor. Use ¼ cup of finely sliced olives and a tablespoon of capers.
Chicken breasts: You can cook thighs and legs in the same way. Although I would remove the bones and skin. Turkey and other poultry would also be delicious in this sauce.
Fresh garlic: You can use garlic powder instead of fresh garlic when seasoning the sauce - ½ teaspoon is enough. If you're allergic, a peeled and finely chopped stick of celery and a bit of fresh chili would be a good alternative.
Lactose-free: There are several dairy ingredients in this recipe, and here are ways to make it safe for people on a lactose-free diet.
Heavy cream: Of course you can find lactose-free cream in supermarkets. You can also make your own vegetable-based version. Go to the substitutions section of this recipe.
Parmesan: If you can't find lactose-free parmesan (or pecorino, grana padano or other lactose-free hard cheeses) in the shops, you can substitute 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast for cheese in this sauce.
Butter: Omit the butter altogether at this stage.
Flour/gluten-free: To coat the chicken without any trace of gluten, try almond, chickpea, corn or rice flour.
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Please marry me
Though I’ve seen similar recipes for this dish, this one is the most thorough, descriptive and inspiring. You make it seem as though I could not pass up trying this. Love that you included the pilaf along side it. Thank you.