Sweet Spiced Chicken w/ Anisette

It took some hunting, but I'm happy to report I found an entree that uses anisette liqueur! The lion's share of recipes that use anisette are baked goods, and many meals use star anise - the actual spice it's made with - but not the liqueur. Thankfully, Food & Wine magazine published a chicken dish seven years ago that fit the bill and is still online!

It's a very tasty recipe, folks. The anisette and spices, which I typically associate with baking and the holidays, are delicious on chicken. I paired it with mixed veggies and couscous and ended up with a delicious dinner!

I turned the heat under the chicken down to medium/medium-low after browning the first side, and the sauce caramelized a bit which made it even more yummy. The measurements for the spices seem very slight, but don't fret - there's plenty of flavor in this dish and no need to boost those amounts.

Don't worry about heating up the kitchen either, since the chicken cooks quickly. Here's how I made it:

Olive oil
4 boneless chicken breasts
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 water
1 Tbsp anisette liqueur
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch each of ground cloves and ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Saute the chicken for 3-4 minutes till golden brown, seasoning the top side with the salt and pepper. Meantime, mix the wine, water and anisette in one small bowl and th cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in another.

When the chicken is ready, flip it over, lower the heat a little, add the garlic and begin to brown the other side. After the garlic cooks a little, add the anisette mixture into the pan, cover and simmer till the chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduces and thickens. Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!