Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce
The secret to a good cream sauce is always the same: not too much cream or it can be overpowering, masking the more delicate flavors. Here it contains a bountiful amount of mushrooms and is served over chicken breasts.
Ingredients:
- 2 5-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed and tenders removed (see Tip)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 medium shallot, minced
- 1 cup thinly sliced shiitake mushroom caps
- 2 tablespoons dry vermouth, or dry white wine
- 1/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh chives, or scallion greens
Instructions
Season chicken with pepper and salt on both sides.
Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook, turning once or twice and adjusting the heat to prevent burning, until brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 12 to 16 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
Add shallot to the pan and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 2 minutes. Pour in vermouth (or wine); simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up any browned bits, about 1 minute. Pour in broth and cook until reduced by half, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in cream and chives (or scallions); return to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, turn to coat with sauce and cook until heated through, about 1 minute.
Recipe Notes
Tip: It’s difficult to find an individual chicken breast small enough for one portion. Removing the thin strip of meat from the underside of a 5-ounce breast—the “tender”—removes about 1 ounce of meat and yields a perfect 4-ounce portion. Wrap and freeze the tenders and when you have gathered enough, use them in a stir-fry or for oven-baked chicken fingers.
NUTRITION
Per serving: 275 calories; 15 g fat (5 g sat, 7 g mono); 84 mg cholesterol; 5 g carbohydrates; 25 g protein; 1 g fiber; 373 mg sodium; 370 mg potassium.
Nutrition Bonus: Selenium (34% daily value).
Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 2 fat
