Seared Chicken with Blueberry-Balsamic Pan Sauce

From the garden

• 1½ cups fresh blueberries
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 sprigs fresh thyme
• 5 cups baby arugula

From the pantry

• 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved horizontally into thin cutlets
• 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt · to taste
• black pepper

1. Season the cutlets with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high and sear 3–4 minutes per side, in two batches, until golden and 165°F inside. Rest them on a plate under foil.
2. Drop the heat to medium, add the shallot to the same pan, and cook 1–2 minutes until translucent. Pour in the balsamic and let it bubble 30 seconds, scraping up the browned bits.
3. Add the blueberries, honey, stock, and thyme sprigs. Simmer 4–6 minutes, pressing about half the berries against the pan with a spoon, until they burst and the sauce turns deep purple and coats a spoon. Leave the rest whole for texture.
4. Pull the pan off the heat, discard the thyme stems, and swirl in the butter until the sauce goes glossy. Taste. It should balance sweet, tart, and savory; a splash more vinegar sharpens it if needed.
5. Spread the arugula over a platter, lay the chicken on top so the warm juices barely wilt the leaves, and spoon the blueberry-balsamic sauce over everything.