In the Kitchen

It’s no secret that I am a fan of Julia Child.  I absolutely adore her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking.  I have yet to make a recipe from it that I was not totally satisfied with.

Some of the recipes in her book have the reputation of taking a long time to prepare.  Some do and they are totally worth it.  This recipe however, cooks up fast, only requires one pan and doesn’t call for any strange or unusual ingredients.

Because I believe that chickens are bread a lot larger than they were when Julia wrote this book and because 4 chicken breasts would be way too much for the two of us I only used two.  Additionally, I doubled the mushrooms called for in the original recipe.  Below you will find my adaptation.  You can find Julia’s original recipe on page 269 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

Chicken with Mushrooms and Cream

Serves 4 (or 2 with leftovers)

5 Tbs. Butter
1 Shallot, thinly slices
1 8oz. package of mushrooms, quartered
2 Chicken Breasts, sliced in half to make four pieces
1/4 cup beef broth
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup heavy cream
Fresh parsley, chopped

Preheat oven to 400.

In an oven proof skillet with a lid, melt 5 tbs. of butter.  Add the shallot and saute lightly about 2 minutes.  Add mushrooms and cook about 2 more minutes.

Salt and pepper the prepared chicken breasts.  Add chicken to the skillet, coat both sides of chicken with the butter in the pan.  Cover and place in the over for 15 minutes.  Check chicken for done-ness and return to the oven if necessary.  If it is finished place the chicken on a warm platter and set aside while you prepare the sauce.

Add the beef broth and white wine to the mushrooms and sauce in the skillet.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken.  Stir in the cream and bring to a boil again and allow the sauce to reduce and thicken slightly.

Pour the finished sauce over the chicken and garnish with fresh parsley.

Julia recommends serving this with a creamy risotto and asparagus tips.  I served it with mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.

Enjoy!

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