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Episode 1: First came the chicken
(Pan-fried Chicken Breast)

Recipe

Preheat oven to 400º.
Inspect the chicken breast. Cut off any pieces of fat or cartilage, but leave skin intact. Locate the chicken tender, a narrow filet-like strip of meat nestled within the breast (there may be none; some markets remove it and sell it separately). Release the tender from the breast by gently pulling it off in one motion. Cooking it separately allows for a considerably shorter cooking time, which guarantees a juicier chicken breast throughout.
Season the skin with generous amounts of salt and pepper.
Drizzle the other side (and the tender) lightly with Extra Virgin olive oil before seasoning it with salt, pepper, and copious amounts of whole fennel seeds and mustard seeds.
Preheat an ovenproof frying pan (stainless steel or cast iron) on a gas range until searing hot.
Sear the breast (and tender) skin-side down for about two minutes, until the skin begins to turn crisp.
Flip the breast (and tender) and immediately place the pan in the hot oven.
Remove the tender from the oven after about 4 minutes. Remove the breast after another 4-8 minutes, depending on its thickness. Leave to rest for 1 minute, during which it will finish cooking from residual heat.
Serve with a mixed salad (see Episode 2) and slices of crusty countrybread.

Adjust your cooking time to the breast's thickness. A perfectly cooked chicken breast is juicy! If it is dry, you have overcooked it. If it is still pink and translucent at the center, it is undercooked (pop it back in the oven for another two minutes or so).
If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, use a baking dish for the second step of the cooking process (preheat it in the oven). Beware that the chicken breast will take more time to cook through (up to 12 minutes in the oven).
For variety, use different kinds of seeds and spices each time you prepare this dish: cracked coriander seeds, caraway seeds, or cumin seeds; experiment with chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, tarragon, chives, cilantro, basil, rosemary or thyme, or rub the meat (not the skin!) with a mashed garlic clove or ground spices such as smoked Spanish Paprika or ground Annatto seeds. Stay clear of dried herbs or commercial spice mixes incl. so-called "chili powder". Don’t use more than two spices at a time to keep flavors distinct, and don’t even think of using garlic powder!