Book of Days Tales

Today is the feast day of St Veronica, celebrating an extra-canonical widow from Jerusalem who purportedly gave her veil to Jesus to wipe his brow on the way to the crucifixion, and when he gave it back to her it was imprinted with an image of his face.  This event is featured in the sixth station of the cross in Catholic tradition.  Here is a recipe for a classic French dish, poulet Veronique, created in her honor. You must use fresh tarragon and seedless grapes.

Ingredients:

2 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

3 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons butter

1 shallot, peeled and chopped

¾ cup small green seedless grapes

½ cup dry white wine

½ cup whipping cream

salt and pepper

Instructions:

Place the chicken breasts between sheets of waxed paper and pound them with a kitchen mallet until they are 1 cm thick, evenly.  Remove the paper.

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 1 teaspoon tarragon, and salt and pepper to taste.

Melt the butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the butter and sauté
 them until golden-brown and cooked through on both sides. Transfer the cooked breasts to plates and keep warm.

Add the shallot and the remaining 2 teaspoons of tarragon to the skillet. Sauté over medium-high heat until the shallot begins to soften. Add the grapes, wine and cream and boil vigorously until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Adjust the seasoning as needed, and serve it over the chicken.