Baked Chicken with Lemon Thyme Wine Sauce

4 Boneless chicken breasts
1 Cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons butter
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Small onion, chopped
1 Teaspoon garlic, minced
1/8 Teaspoon white pepper
1/4 Cup cream or half & half
1 Tablespoon flour
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon thyme, or 1 Teaspoon dried
1/2 Cup Swiss cheese, grated (optional)
8 Lemon thyme sprigs, 2-3" in length
Salt to taste
Preheat oven to 375F. Pierce chicken breasts with fork and arrange in a baking dish. Add wine and marinate for 10 minutes. Sauté onions and garlic in butter and olive oil until transparent. Remove the onion and garlic with a slotted spoon and set them aside, along with the seasoned oil. In a blender, thoroughly blend the wine, pepper, cream, flour, and lemon thyme, adding onions and garlic. Brown the chicken in the seasoned oil over a medium-high heat for about 8 minutes, turning once. Return chicken to baking dish and add the blended sauce. Cover and bake for 10 minutes. Remove the cover and cook an additional 15 minutes. (Optional: add Swiss cheese during last 5 minutes of cooking.) Garnish with sprigs of lemon thyme. Serves four.

DEAN PAILLER, THE FLOWERY BRANCH SEED CO.