Bacon Chicken Breast with Cranberry Marmalade Adapted from Geoff Suk of Steven Roberts

Ingredients for Bacon Cranberry Marmalade:

• 4 strips Applewood smoked bacon, cut into ½ inch wide pieces
• 2 tbsp. yellow onion, ¼ inch dice
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• ¼ cup The Perfect Purée Cranberry Puree, thawed
• ¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• Fresh ground black pepper (to taste)

Method for Bacon Cranberry Marmalade:

1. In a sauté pan, add bacon and cook over medium heat until just starting to crisp.
2. Add onions and continue to cook over medium heat until the onions are soft and start to caramelize.
3. Once the mixture starts to foam, sprinkle sugar into pan and deglaze with chicken broth, Cranberry Puree, and red wine vinegar.
4. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer. Continue to cook until mixture starts to thicken.
5. Once thickened, stir in pepper and remove from the heat—chill and set aside.

Ingredients for the Cranberry Gastrique:

• ¼ cup water
• ¼ cup sugar
• ½ cup The Perfect Purée Cranberry Puree, thawed
• 1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
• sea salt (to taste)
• black pepper (to taste)

Method for the Cranberry Gastrique:

1. In heavy-bottom sauce pot with lid, combine water and sugar and bring to a boil.
2.  Reduce heat to a simmer and continue to cook for 1 minute.
3. Remove lid and continue to cook until mixture starts to brown or caramelize on edges of pot.
4. Remove from heat. Add Cranberry puree and red wine vinegar and stir until the sugar dissolves.
5. Return to heat and bring to a boil.
6. Cook for 30 seconds and then remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients for Chicken Breasts:
• 4 chicken breasts (boneless with skin on)
• salt (to taste)
• pepper (to taste)
• 2 tbsp. vegetable oil

Method for Chicken Breasts:

1. Cut pocket into each chicken breast using a sharp boning or paring knife (to cut the pocket, place the tip of knife against thick end of the breast and carefully push it into the breast, making sure to stay in the middle)
2. Using your finger, open the pocket slightly and add 2 tbsp. of chilled marmalade into each chicken breast.
3. Season the skin side of the breast with salt and the back side of the breast with both salt and pepper.
4. Preheat oven to 350°.
5. Preheat sauté pan to medium-high heat, add oil, then place chicken breasts skin side down and cook for 1-2 minutes or until skin is golden brown and crispy.
6. Flip chicken breasts over and place into the oven for 7-10 minutes or until chicken is cooked throughout.
7. Remove chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
8. After resting, slice each chicken breast into five equal pieces to expose the marmalade. Then fan out the slices on a plate and drizzle with the Cranberry Gastrique.