Sous Vide Lemon-Oregano Chicken with Blistered Tomato-Olive Relish

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

A 150°F water bath turns ordinary chicken breasts into something you can't get from a pan alone — juicy edge to edge, seasoned all the way through with lemon zest, garlic and oregano. A hard 60-second sear gives it a golden crust, and the same skillet blisters cherry tomatoes into a warm relish with olives, lemon and feta. Set it in the water in the morning, finish dinner in ten minutes.

Ingredients

• 2 large boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 lb total)
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 2 cups cherry tomatoes
• 1/3 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
• 1/3 cup crumbled feta

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot or container with water, clip on your immersion circulator, and set it to 150°F (65.5°C). Let it come fully up to temperature, about 10 minutes.
2. Pat the chicken breasts dry and season all over with the salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon of the oregano. Slide them into a zip-top freezer bag in a single layer with the smashed garlic, the lemon zest and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Lower the open bag into the water so the pressure pushes the air out, then seal it just above the waterline (water-displacement method).
3. Cook the chicken in the 150°F bath for 1 hour 30 minutes. It will hold perfectly for up to 3 hours, so there is no rush to pull it — just leave the circulator running.
4. Lift the bag out, remove the chicken, discard the garlic, and pat the breasts extremely dry with paper towels. Any surface moisture will steam instead of sear, so take an extra minute here.
5. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a heavy skillet over high heat until it just begins to smoke. Sear the breasts 45 to 60 seconds per side, until deep golden, then move them to a board to rest.
6. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the cherry tomatoes to the hot skillet and cook 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan, until the tomatoes blister and a few burst. Kill the heat and stir in the olives, remaining 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 2 tablespoons lemon juice, scraping up the browned bits. Slice the chicken thickly, spoon the relish and pan juices over the top, and scatter with feta.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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