ROAST CHICKEN BREASTS WITH RAISINS AND ISRAELI COUSCOUS

Serves 4

CHICKEN:

4 whole chicken breasts, each about 12 ounces

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup sweet Italian wine such as Moscato

1/2 small fennel bulb, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/2 cup seedless raisins

1 sprig fresh sage

1 lemon, zested

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup organic chicken broth

1 cup sweet seedless grapes, cut in half

COUSCOUS:

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup Israeli couscous (also labeled pearl couscous)

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups good-quality canned chicken broth

1 tablespoon minced parsley leaves

1 tablespoon minced fresh sage leaves, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the chicken, season the breasts all over with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in an ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken skin side down and saute until golden, about 3 minutes. Turn with tongs and saute for 3 minutes more. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a platter and wrap in heavy-duty aluminum foil to keep warm.

Pour off excess fat from the pan. Add the dry and sweet wines, fennel, raisins, sage, lemon zest, and lemon juice, and, over high heat, stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits. Boil the wine until it reduces by half its volume, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the broth and boil until it reduces to a consistency thick enough to coat the back of the wooden spoon, about 5 minutes more. Remove the sage, stir in the grapes, cover to keep warm, and set aside.

Meanwhile, prepare the couscous. In a saucepan, bring the broth to a boil, then remove from the heat. In another saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until glossy, about 1 minute. Add the couscous and stir until well coated with the oil. Stir in the salt and 1 cup of the hot broth. Cook, stirring occasionally, until about two thirds of the liquid has been absorbed, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the remaining hot broth and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the couscous is al dente, tender but still slightly chewy. Adjust the seasonings to taste, stir in the parsley, cover, and keep warm.

To serve, spoon the couscous into the center of 4 serving plates. Slice each chicken breast diagonally off the bone and arrange on top of the couscous. Spoon the sauce, raisins, and grapes over and around the chicken and garnish with the minced sage leaves. Serve immediately.