Chicken & Balsamic Sauce

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, opened out flat like a cutlet (breasts can be substituted if you absolutely have to, but the meat won’t be as succulently moist)
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 yellow onion, peeled, halved, and sliced thinly
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup fresh orange juice (or fresh squeezed from a carton)
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
½ cup to 1 cup assorted pitted olives (I used a combination of green and Kalamata; use what you like, and in the amount that suits your taste)

1. Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.  Working with 4 pieces at a time, brown the chicken on both sides.  Transfer to a baking sheet lined with foil and set in a warm (150-170 degree) oven.  Repeat with second batch.
2. When all chicken is browned and keeping warm, lower heat under skillet to medium.  Add the garlic to the pan and sauté, stirring, until it begins to turn pale gold.  Add the onion and sauté this with the garlic until the onion softens.  Add the cumin and cayenne pepper and stir these around to toast them a bit, then add orange juice and vinegar.  
3. Stir to deglaze browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, then turn the heat up a bit and let sauce start to bubble and reduce by about a third. You want this to look thickened and slightly syrupy.
4. Return chicken to the pan, add the olives, and stir everything together with the sauce.  Cover, reduce heat, and let simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.  
5. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste if needed.  

Serving suggestion: Turmeric rice flavored with a sachet of coriander seeds.

Recipe courtesy of Jane Ward, Food and Fiction, 2010.