Marry Me Chicken

To cook the barley, bring 2 cups of chicken stock to a boil, add a knob of butter, then stir in 1 cup of quick barley. Cover the pot, cook for about 10 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it rest for 5 minutes.

While the barley cooks, prepare the chicken. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium-high heat.

Butterfly one large chicken breast by slicing it horizontally to create two thinner, even pieces.

Season both sides of the chicken cutlets with black pepper and salt.

Place the chicken in the hot pan and sear until golden brown on both sides. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.

In the same pan, add the finely cut sun-dried tomatoes and a bit of butter, and sauté.

Add the tomato paste and stir to caramelize it for a moment.

Add the chopped garlic and stir until fragrant.

Deglaze the pan with chicken stock, then add fresh basil leaves, dried oregano, and red chili pepper flakes.

Add the spinach leaves to the pan and cook until they wilt into the sauce.

Grate fresh lemon zest directly into the sauce for brightness.

Pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine.

Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until it melts and the sauce thickens.

Return the seared chicken breasts to the pan, coating them with the sauce, and let them simmer for about 5 minutes.

Stir in the Dijon mustard at the last minute.

While the chicken simmers, finish the barley by adding chopped parsley, finely diced red bell pepper, more butter, and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper and mix well.

Prepare a garnish by rolling basil leaves together and slicing them thinly (chiffonade).

Finish the sauce by stirring in a final piece of butter off the heat to make it rich and glossy.

Create a bed of the barley risotto in the center of the plate.

Place a cooked chicken breast on top of the barley.

Spoon a generous amount of the creamy sauce over the chicken and garnish with the chiffonade of basil.