Brandy Chicken

Signing up for a camera class was one of the best ideas I never had.  I did so much complaining about being an inadequate photographer to my husband that he finally got tired of hearing it and he bought me a gift certificate to the Atlanta School of Photography.  His not-so-subtle gift was just the nudge I needed to get myself the help that I needed to improve my photography skills. 

I hesitantly signed up for the most basic level workshop that the school had to offer and and invited a friend so I wouldn't have to endure the class alone.  If I was going to look like a complete incompetent, I needed to bring along some emotional support.  Even though my friend and I were confident that we were about to make fools of ourselves, we packed up our gear and headed to Atlanta for our 5 hour, intensive, hands-on camera workshop.  What did we have to lose - except our pride? 

Much to my surprise, we were not the most unknowledgeable students in the class.  Our class was made up of 6 other inexperienced camera users just like ourselves.  The instructor was amazing and at the end of the day our heads were swirling with terms like aperture, focus points and metering mode.  Feeling overwhelmed with information, I feared that it would all be forgotten unless I started to practice right away.   So, Ben and I spent the next several weekends practicing my newly discovered camera skills.  
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​We scoped out the most picturesque places in Georgia.  We visited majestic waterfalls and beautiful gardens - all in the name of experimenting with my camera.   My family was SUPER patient with me while I honed my camera skills.  They carried around all my gear and patiently waited 4-5 minutes for me to make all of the necessary adjustments to my camera to set up a single shot.  

I had a great time snapping pictures of landscapes and people but I still feel most comfortable with food photography.  There's no wining, squinting or moving from a cheeseburger.  I've been doing it so long that I know how to put the product in the perfect lighting to avoid shadows and over exposure.  With any luck (and lots of practice) someday, I'll be just as efficient at landscape and portrait photography as I am at food photography.  

Today, I'm back in my comfort zone.  Capturing the colors, the textures and the juiciness of this Brandy Chicken.  I only wish that my photographs could capture the amazing aroma and intense flavor of this dish. 

Brandy Chicken
4 boneless chicken breasts
1 Tablespoon kosher salt
2 onions, sliced thin
1/2 cup +  1 Tablespoon brandy
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Season with salt and pepper. 

Heat oil in skillet.  Add chicken and cook until browned.  Transfer to a plate. 

Add onions, 1/2 c. brandy, garlic, thyme, 1/2 t. salt and 1/2 t. pepper to skillet. 

Bring mixture to a boil.  Cover and cook 5-7 min. until onions start to brown.  

Uncover and cook 3-5 minutes longer. 

Add chicken to skillet and transfer to a 350 oven.  Bake 20-25 minutes. 

Remove chicken from skillet.   

Discard thyme.  Stir butter and 1 T. brandy into pan.   Cook 1 minute.  ​

Spread onion mixture around chicken and sprinkle with parsley to serve. 

Clearly, brandy chicken isn't the most photogenic of food subjects.  Even though the colors are monochromatic, this chicken is anything but bland.  The rich brandy, onion sauce really takes this chicken to a new level.

​Ciao!

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