Pan Fried Chicken with Artichoke Hearts

It's the heart of winter and perennials start to show in market stalls.  I made justice to one of my favourites... the Artichoke.  Lemon is a must to avoid discoloration.

1 Large Chicken Breast
6 small Artichokes
2 lemons
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar 
1 tsp chicken powder
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup white wine
1 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp butter

Remove the skin from Chicken Breast and using a sharp filleting knife cut slices at an angle to have nice flat escalope pieces. Put chicken pieces in a large bowl and add crushed garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, dried oregano, sugar, soy sauce, chicken powder, corn flour, ground pepper and mix thoroughly with clean hands so that all chicken get some seasoning. Cover and set aside. (Wash hands with hot soapy water.). Fill a large bowl with cold water, cut one lemon in half and squeeze the juice in the water and add what's left from the lemon. Prepare artichokes by removing all outer leaves and leave just two inches of the stem.  Using a sharp knife cut the remaining leaves leaving just a third. Peel the stem, cut the artichoke in half lengthways and remove the hairy core. Put in the bowl of water and lemon to avoid discoloration.

Heat the remaining olive oil in a large non stick pan and add chicken pieces a fiew at a time. Fry for just thirty seconds on each side.  Remove from pan and transfer to a warm plate. Continue with all the remaining chicken slices. When ready, deglaze the pan with wine, then add the chicken stock and artichoke hearts. Squeeze half a lemon, cover and let them simmer for 15 minutes on medium to low heat. Add butter to reduced sauce and stir. Top with fried chicken cover again and cook for just 1 minute.  Serve with boiled rice. Garnish with thinly sliced lemons.