Brown butter sage chicken & pears

There are recipes that scream fall because somebody dumped pumpkin spice into them, and then there are recipes that simply feel like fall. This is the second kind. Brown butter, fresh sage, golden chicken, shallots and pears all end up in one skillet with a glossy little Dijon-maple pan sauce. It’s warm and savory with just enough sweetness from the pears to make it interesting without turning dinner into dessert. And it looks considerably fancier than the amount of work involved, which is always a quality I appreciate in food. This is the dinner for the first cool evening when you suddenly remember that food can be cozy again. Why Pears? Apples get almost all the attention once fall arrives, but pears deserve better. Cooked just until golden, they soften slightly while keeping their shape, and their sweetness works ridiculously well with sage, Dijon and brown butter. The trick is using pears that are ripe but still firm. A very soft pear will surrender to the skillet and you’ll end up with pear sauce. Delicious? Probably. What we’re going for? No. Bosc or Anjou pears are perfect here. Brown Butter Sage Chicken & Pears Serves 4 Prep: 15 minutes Cook: about 30 minutes Total: 45 minutes Ingredients 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or 6 boneless chicken thighs Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon olive oil 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided 2 firm-ripe Bosc or Anjou pears, cored and cut into wedges 1 large shallot, thinly sliced 3 garlic cloves, minced 10–12 fresh sage leaves ¾ cup chicken stock 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar Flaky sea salt, for finishing Let’s Make It Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil with 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden on both sides and cooked through to 165°F in the thickest part. Transfer it to a plate and keep it nearby—we’re coming back for it. Lower the heat slightly and add the pear wedges to the same skillet. Let them cook for about 2–3 minutes per side, just until they’re golden around the edges. Don’t fuss with them too much. We want pretty caramelized pears, not pear compote. Transfer the pears to the plate with the chicken. Now for the good part. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the skillet along with the sage leaves. Let the butter melt and continue cooking until it foams, smells nutty and the milk solids at the bottom turn golden brown. Watch it closely because brown butter has approximately twelve seconds between perfect and well, damn. Remove the crisp sage leaves and save them for the top. Add the shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour in the chicken stock and scrape up all those browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Whisk in the Dijon and maple syrup. Let the sauce simmer for several minutes until it reduces slightly and becomes glossy. Stir in the apple cider vinegar. Taste it. This is where you get to be the cook rather than blindly obeying a recipe. Need salt? Add it. Want a little more Dijon? Go for it. Too intense? A splash more stock will loosen it. Return the chicken and pears to the skillet and spoon that brown-butter sauce over everything. Let them warm together for another minute or two. Finish with the crispy sage leaves, a little flaky salt and freshly cracked pepper. What to Serve With It Mashed potatoes are the obvious answer because that sauce deserves somewhere to go. Creamy polenta is fantastic too. For something lighter, try cauliflower purée, roasted vegetables or a simple bitter-green salad with a sharp vinaigrette. And if there’s good crusty bread sitting on the counter? You’ve already solved the problem. A Few Notes Before You Cook Don’t use overripe pears. They need to survive being browned and then returned to the sauce. Don’t rush the brown butter. Medium-to-medium-low heat gives you much more control. You’re looking for a nutty aroma and amber-colored milk solids. Fresh sage matters here. Dried sage technically works, but the fresh leaves fried in brown butter are half the reason we’re making this. Maple is a supporting character. One tablespoon gives the pears a little help without making the sauce noticeably sweet. Resist the temptation to turn it into maple chicken. Make It Yours That’s one of my favorite things about this recipe: the basic idea can wander. Swap the pears for crisp apples. Add mushrooms with the shallots. Use rosemary instead of thyme. Add a splash of dry white wine before the stock. Throw some toasted walnuts over the finished dish. Recipes should give you somewhere to start—not make you afraid to touch anything. And this one is a very good place to start fall. Brown butter. Sage. Pears. Something warm on the table. No pumpkin required.