Julia Child’s Chicken with Mushrooms & Cream
Food
Audio By Carbonatix
By Aimee McCullough, editor in chief
Julia Child’s Sautéed Chicken with Mushrooms & Cream
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 4-6 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp fresh thyme
- 2 Tbs minced shallots
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups mushrooms (I use shiitakes, but you can use any you like), stems removed, quartered
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1-2 tsp lemon juice
- 2 Tbsp butter for finishing sauce
- 2 Tbs minced fresh parsley, chives, or tarragon
A few notes on making this:
- This dish requires a little effort to saute the mushrooms separately and make a pan sauce, but is well worth it.
- You can use other cuts of chicken if you like, and other herbs as well, but tarragon and chives will give a classically French flavor.
Directions:
- Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper.
- Wipe mushrooms of dirt, remove stems and quarter or slice.
- Place a 12-inch skillet over medium heat and add the oil.
- When it is very hot but not smoking, lay in the chicken pieces.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes on one side without moving. When browned, flip chicken and cook on other side.
- After 2-3 minutes, remove chicken to plate and cover to rest.
- Into skillet, add shallots and saute for about a minute, until fragrant.
- Pour in chicken stock and wine to deglaze pan, scraping up bits with a wooden spoon.
- Continue to boil sauce until its reduced by about half and becoming syrupy.
- In a separate skillet, add butter butter and sauté your mushrooms.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook until browned.
- Add the browned mushrooms and cream to the sauce in skillet.
- Boil down rapidly for a minute or two, until the sauce thickens lightly, then add the chicken back in and baste with the sauce and mushrooms.
- Cover and simmer 2 to 3 minutes to warm the chicken through, basting several times.
- Taste carefully and correct seasoning, adding a little freshly squeezed lemon juice if desired.
- Garnish with herbs and serve.
