Braised Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper-Corn Relish

Each snappy bite of this incredible chicken is joyful. The moist bird is resting in a silky broth spiked with tomato, Worcestershire, garlic, and onion. Then there's the relish: a vivacious blend of corn, roasted red peppers, green onions, parsley, and oregano. Fresh, colorful, healthy, and ready in 20 minutes.

I'm obsessed with the contrast in flavors and colors going on in this dish. It was born out of necessity too - I was using what I had on hand - to eliminate a trip to the store. Some of the best inventions happen that way, am I right? Kyle told me a story about a novelist who was told to write an entire book without the letter E. Imagine THAT guy's creativity! By they way, the book is La Disparition by George Perec (believe it or not, while digging up the book title, I found that there's another novel without the letter E and it's Gadsby, by Ernest Vincent Wright).

OK, now back to the recipe! Aside from the explosion of flavor and color in this dish, there's also a remarkable blend of textures. The chicken is moist, the braising liquid is loose and silky (not thick and creamy like gravy) and the relish delivers crunch and a delightful "pop" when the corn kernels release their sweet nectar. It's a total extravaganza on the palate. And I know you'll love it.

Braised Chicken with Roasted Red Pepper-Corn Relish

For the braised chicken: 
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts or 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 teaspoon dried parsley
Salt and ground black pepper
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
For the relish: 
1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers
1/2 cup canned or frozen/thawed corn
2 tablespoons chopped green onions
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both sides of the chicken with the parsley, salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side, until golden brown. Whisk together the chicken broth, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, and onion powder and add the mixture to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer for 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the roasted red peppers, corn, green onions, parsley, and oregano. Mix well and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve the chicken with the braising liquid spooned over top and then top with the relish.
Serves 4