This is the first recipe I haven’t automatically tweaked in a long time. It’s so beautifully simple, so insanely good, and so easy that I actually prepared it as written. The recipes in the New York Times rarely fail; this is worth making again and again. 

All hail Mark Bittman, for he deserves every delicious bite of credit. I served this with roasted beets, which became extra good when they mingled with the citrus butter sauce. 

Citrus Chicken

From the New York Times 

• 2T extra-virgin olive oil
• 2T butter
• 4 boneless chicken breasts
• Salt and black pepper
• ¼ cup flour
• 1 large orange
• 2 limes
• 1T sugar

Put a large skillet over medium-high heat for 2 or 3 minutes. Add olive oil and butter to the skillet and swirl it around.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Put flour on a plate. When the butter foam subsides in the pan, dredge the chicken in flour, shaking to remove the excess.

Add the breasts to the skillet and cook, turning once, until the chicken is browned on both sides and nearly cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. (Chicken should be constantly sizzling but not burning.) Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.

Cut the orange in half. Section one of the halves as you would a grapefruit, removing any seeds. Juice the remaining orange half and one lime.

With the heat still on medium-high, add the orange juice, lime juice and sugar to the skillet and let it bubble, stirring, until it is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.

Add the orange sections to the skillet and turn heat to low, stirring, until mixture is slightly thickened.

Return the chicken to the skillet, turn it in the sauce, then serve, seasoned with salt and pepper to taste. Cut the remaining lime into wedges for garnish.