Caramelized Fall Fruit Salad with Chicken
From Sunset

When East Coast friends were visiting, Marilou Robinson wanted to make a meal that showed off local ingredients. Her combination of fruit, nuts, and cheese with Oregon-raised chicken made a tasty and unusual entrée - proof that what grows together goes together.

1/4 cup hazelnuts
2 boned, skinned chicken breast halves (5 to 6 oz. each)
Salt and pepper
1/2 tablespoon salad oil
1 firm-ripe pear such as Bosc or Comice (about 8 oz.)
1 apple (about 8 oz.)
1/2 tablespoon butter or margarine
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar
2/3 cup rice vinegar
1/2 cup orange juice
4 cups baby salad mix (4 oz.), rinsed and crisped
1 ounce blue cheese, crumbled

1. Put hazelnuts in an 8- to 9-inch square baking pan. Bake in a 350° regular or convection oven until nuts are golden beneath skins, 12 to 15 minutes. Pour from pan onto a towel. When cool enough to handle, rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins. Lift nuts from towel and coarsely chop; discard skins.

2. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place each breast between two sheets of plastic wrap. With a flat mallet, gently pound to about 1/2 inch thick. Peel off plastic and sprinkle chicken lightly on both sides with salt and pepper.

3. Heat oil in a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat; when hot, add chicken and turn occasionally until pieces are lightly browned on both sides and no longer pink in the center (cut to test), 6 to 8 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

4. Meanwhile, rinse, peel, and core pear and apple; cut each lengthwise into 8 wedges. Add butter and brown sugar to frying pan; stir over medium-high heat until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute. Add fruit and stir often until beginning to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in vinegar and orange juice, bring to a boil, and stir often until fruit is tender when pierced and liquid is slightly thickened, 8 to 10 minutes.

5. Divide salad greens equally between two dinner plates and set a chicken breast half on each mound. Spoon hot fruit and liquid over chicken and greens. Sprinkle evenly with toasted hazelnuts and blue cheese. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

Yield: Makes 2 servings

NUTRITION PER SERVING CALORIES 533(37% from fat); FAT 22g (sat 6g); PROTEIN 39g; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; SODIUM 330mg; FIBER 6.3g; CARBOHYDRATE 48g

Marilou Robinson, Portland, Oregon Sunset, SEPTEMBER 2001