Porcini Chicken.
This is my first post after taking a month off. After accomplishing the Herculean task of producing a post each week for a year a break was needed and welcomed. During the last month I've used the extra free time to work on some neglected projects at home and to try some new recipes. Another thing that I've done in the last month is move Crock Pot night from Thursday to Tuesday. Over the last 15 months I have been making crock pot dinners on Thursday mornings and then going to work for a half-day. In the afternoon I would come home and have dinner before returning to work for a few more hours.Since my Thursdays have returned to normal it makes sense to move crock pot night to Tuesdays which are my regular day off. So far this has been working out very well. That's enough about what I've been doing, let's get to the food.
Today's dinner is Porcini Chicken; this is similar to Chicken Marsala except it doesn't use Marsala wine to make the sauce and it utilises Porcini mushrooms which are more meaty and flavorful. Porcini mushrooms are wild mushrooms that are highly prized by chefs and gourmets, their flavor is nutty and meaty with a smooth, creamy texture. Due to their highly perishable nature most porcini mushrooms are sold in a dried form, usually in small amounts of 0.5 to 1 ounces per package. The drying process allows the mushrooms to be stored for up to a year. Dried porcini mushrooms have to be re-constituted before they can be used.
All you have to do to re-constitute them is let them soak in water for 20 minutes. While soaking the water will acquire some of the earthy flavor of the mushrooms, don't be too quick to dump it out. If your recipe calls for water, use the water that you soaked the mushrooms in to add more flavor. So, Let's take a look at today's recipe.
Porcini Chicken
Prep time 7 Min. Cook time 14 Min. Serves 4
Ingredients
1/2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup hot water
20 ounces chicken breasts, 4 (5-ounce) cutlets
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons shallots, minced
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 tablespoon butter
Instructions
Combine the mushrooms and the water in a small bowl; let soak about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon lift the mushrooms from the liquid, rinse thoroughly, and coarsely chop. Line a strainer with a paper towel. Pour the mushroom liquid through the strainer; reserve 1/2 cup of the liquid.
Sprinkle the chicken with the salt and pepper. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and set over high heat. Add chicken and cook until lightly browned, about 1 minute on each side. Reduce the heat to medium. Sprinkle the chicken with shallots. Cook until the chicken is browned on the outside and cooked through, about 3 minutes longer on each side. Transfer the chicken and shallots to a serving platter; cover and keep warm.
Add the chopped mushrooms to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, about 30 seconds. Add the reserved mushroom liquid and bring to a boil, scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the wine and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the butter until melted. Serve the sauce with the chicken.
This recipe yields 1 piece of chicken with 2 tablespoons of sauce per serving.
This is a delicious dinner that is sure to please your family and friends.
As always, if you try this dinner, check back here and leave a comment to let me know how it turned out.
Next month - Easy Spaghetti and Meatballs or Another of Ellen's Favorites.
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