Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add balsamic vinegar if the sauce needs acidity. Divide the tomato sauce to the centers of two warmed bowls or deep-rimmed plates. Place the chicken breasts over the sauce, garnish with the bay leaves, and serve with toasted crusty bread. When the chicken is added to the pan, the initial heat sears the skin while the cool temperature of the flesh reduces the heat of the pan shortly afterward.
Oil is rubbed on the breasts rather than placed in the pan.
This method, combined with the heat absorption of the breast, protects the oil from breaking down which would create free radicals. Turning the fire up once the chicken is added gently brings the heat of the pan back to a point which allows the skin to crisp without scorching. All rights reserved.