- 150ml/5fl oz white wine
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 4 boneless chicken breasts
- plain flour, for dusting
- 120ml/4fl oz olive oil
- 2 small onions, finely sliced
- 1 lemon, zest and pith removed, thinly sliced, plus a few lemon slices to garnish
- 16 branches of fresh thyme, plus a few sprigs to garnish
- 10 fresh sage leaves
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 clove of garlic
- 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped
- 200g/7oz green beans
- 1 lemon, juice only
- In a small bowl, mix together the wine and lemon juice, then set aside.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and rub well in.
- Lightly dust them with some flour, shaking off any excess. With the palm of your hand, flatten the breasts slightly.
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Add the chicken and seal on both sides (some chicken breasts contain water and may spit while cooking. To prevent this, cover with a lid).
- Once they are well-sealed and golden brown, remove the chicken breasts from the pan and set aside.
- Lower the heat, add the onions, season with salt and pepper and sweat until the onions are soft.
- Add the lemon slices, thyme and sage leaves and mix well.
- Return the chicken to the pan, cover and cook over a gentle heat for three minutes. Raise the heat (but be careful not to burn the onions and lemon).
- Add the wine and lemon juice mixture, then cover and cook for 10-15 seconds, until the mixture is bubbling.
- Remove the lid and simmer until the liquid has evaporated slightly. You will see the sauce thickening.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Arrange the chicken breasts on a large plate or on individual serving plates and pour the sauce over.
- Garnish with lemon slices and sprigs of thyme.
- To prepare the chilli beans, cook until tender, then drain and toss in the garlic, lemon juice and chopped chilli.