Skillet Chicken in a Thyme Red Wine Sauce

1. Thickly slice the mushrooms, mince the garlic, and chop up the onion. Reserve about 10 sprigs of thyme, but take the leaves off the rest.

2. Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel. It’s important that the chicken is as dry as possible when it hits the pan, because that will allow it to get a nice brown sizzly sear instead of steaming in its own liquid. Sprinkle the pieces of chicken liberally on both sides with salt and pepper, then dredge them through the flour and shake off the excess.

3. Heat the butter and olive oil over medium high in a large and deep skillet. When the pan is hot, add the chicken. Cook about 3 minutes per side, until nicely seared. Remove. It’s still very raw inside, but don’t worry, we’ll come back to it.

4. Add more oil to the pan if needed. Add the onion and garlic, and fry for 3-4 minutes.

5. Add the mushrooms, and continue to cook until they start to brown. Add some salt and pepper at this point.

6. Add the thyme leaves and artichoke hearts. Cook for 3 more minutes.

7. Pour in the red wine. Bring it to a boil and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add the powdered bouillon, though you can also use chicken base, or bouillon cubes.

8. Place the chicken on top of the veggies and sauce, and top each breast with 2 or so sprigs of thyme. Cover the skillet and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 12-15 minutes.

9. When the chicken is just cooked through, uncover the skillet and set the chicken aside. Create an aluminum foil tent to keep it warm and ready. Add the cup of heavy cream to the skillet and simmer the sauce and veggies until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste and reseason.

10. Serve the chicken over pasta, potatoes or rice, with the veggies and sauce poured over top. Garnish with some of the reserved sprigs of thyme.