Sous Vide Tagine-Style Chicken Breasts

Braised dark meat in a rich, deeply spiced sauce is my idea of the perfect winter comfort food. But by using the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker, it is easy to get all of the flavor of a true tagine into lighter, leaner chicken breasts — without the risk of over-cooking the meat. A couple of tricks: First, make your own spice blend to use as a rub for the chicken and foundation for the sauce. It is well worth the extra five minutes. Second, build that sauce on the stove to concentrate flavor. I like to start it right before the chicken is finished cooking to keep everything hot and fresh.

Author

Kate Itrich-Williams

Prep Time: 00:45

Recipe Time: 02:30

Temperature : 146F / 63.3C

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, trimmed
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Pinch saffron
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 Roma tomatoes, peeled, de-seeded, and sliced into thin strips
• 1/2 cup pitted and chopped green olives
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for serving

Directions

1. Set the Anova Sous Vide Precision Cooker to 146ºF (63.3ºC).
2. Combine the paprika, coriander, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Transfer to a medium skillet set over medium heat. Toast until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return to bowl and let cool.
3. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Rub the chicken with 1 tablespoon spice mix. Transfer to a large zipper lock or vacuum seal bag with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Seal using the water immersion technique or a vacuum sealer on the moist setting.
4. Place the bag in the water bath and set the timer for 2 1/2 hours, or up to 6 hours.
5. About 30 minutes before the chicken is finished, prepare the sauce: Heat the remaining tablespoon olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the onion, ginger, garlic, saffron, and 1 tablespoon spice mix, and season with salt. Sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes.
6. Add the tomato paste and continue to cook, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste turns deep red, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, and olives, and bring to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Once the sauce reaches a simmer, reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and cook for 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Remove from heat until the chicken is finished.

Finishing Steps

1. When the timer goes off, remove the bag from the water bath. Remove the chicken from the bag, and transfer to a cutting board. Cut the meat from the bone and slice into 1/2-inch thick medallions. Gently warm the sauce and place the chicken slices in the skillet. Spoon the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve.