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1
Lay out a 15-inch-long piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and drizzle it with a little olive oil.
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2
Lay a butterflied chicken breast, cut side up, on the plastic wrap.
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3
Fold the plastic wrap over to cover.
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4
Using a meat pounder, pound out the thicker parts of the breast so that it's uniformly thick.
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5
Fold the plastic wrap open and brush the chicken breast with the molasses; season with generous pinches of fennel, salt and pepper.
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6
(This will be the inside part of the breast that gets stuffed.)
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7
Fold the plastic wrap back over and flip the breast over.
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8
Fold plastic wrap open and season the other side of the breast with salt and pepper.
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9
(This is the outside that will later get seared in the pan.)
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10
Re-cover with the plastic wrap and place on a plate.
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11
Repeat this process with the remaining chicken breasts.
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12
Refrigerate for 1 hour or up to overnight.
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13
Heat the 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
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14
Add the onions, season with salt and pepper, and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.
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15
Add the garlic and pecans, and cook another 2 minutes.
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16
Add the tarragon and cook another minute.
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17
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
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18
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
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19
Remove a butterflied breast from the plastic wrap.
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20
Place it on a cutting board, molasses-side up.
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21
Place 1/4 cup of the filling on half of the chicken breast.
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22
Fold over the other half to enclose the filling.
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23
Using a bamboo skewer, close up the opening by threading the skewer through one end of the opening to the other to secure.
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24
Repeat with the remaining chicken breasts and filling.
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25
Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
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26
Add the stuffed chicken breasts and cook for about 3 minutes per side, until nicely browned.
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27
Add the wine, chicken broth and crushed tomatoes.
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28
Turn down the heat to low, cover, and poach until the chicken is cooked through, another 8 minutes.
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29
Transfer the chicken to a plate, remove the skewers, cover the chicken with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
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30
While chicken is resting, turn up the heat on the poaching liquid to medium, add the crushed red pepper, and let simmer until thickened and reduced by a third, about 5 minutes.
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31
Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
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32
Strain the sauce into a small pot and keep warm over low heat until ready to serve.
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33
To serve: Slice the chicken, if desired, and arrange on a serving platter.
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34
Pour some sauce over the top.
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35
Serve immediately, with extra sauce on the side.
