Tomato Butter Chicken with Roasted Tomatoes

Serves 4 with leftover tomato butter

For the butter

1 cup cherry tomatoes (see recipe note)

½ cup butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped oregano

Salt & pepper

For the chicken

2 teaspoons olive oil

4 chicken breasts, skinless or skin-on

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

2 garlic cloves, skin on

½ cup tomato butter

4 small bunches cherry tomatoes on the vine

½ lemon

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 teaspoon chopped oregano

Crusty bread, for serving

1.        Set your broiler to high, add the tomatoes to a sheet pan, and broil for 7 to 8 minutes or until the skins are lightly charred and the tomatoes burst. Set aside and allow the tomatoes to cool to room temperature.

2.        When cool, transfer the tomatoes and any juices to the bowl of a food processor. Cut the butter into cubes and add to the food processor along with the parsley and oregano and season with salt and pepper. Blitz for about 20 seconds or until smooth and well combined. Set ½ cup of the tomato butter aside for the chicken. Transfer the remaining butter to a container or shape into a log and wrap in plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 1 week or in the freezer for up to 3 months. It’s delicious on toast or stirred into hot pasta.

3.        Heat your oven to 400ºF and place a large cast iron or oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the oil to heat and season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken into the pan skin-side down (if using skin-on chicken) as well as the whole garlic cloves and sear until the chicken is golden brown, about 5 minutes.

4.        Turn off the heat, flip the chicken over, and dollop about 2 tablespoons of butter onto each chicken breast. Nestle in the tomatoes on the vine as well as the lemon, season with salt and pepper, and transfer the pan to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes for boneless or 20 to 25 for bone-in or until the chicken is fully cooked through to 165ºF.

5.        Set the chicken aside to rest for 5 minutes before squeezing over the lemon and scattering with parsley and oregano. Serve with crusty bread.

Note: If you do not have cherry tomatoes, any roughly chopped and seeded tomatoes will work in their place.