I can't believe I have shied away from mushrooms my entire life until recently! I know it's a fungus, but damn they are good and heck, they have medicinal properties as well. So why not saute some in butter and garlic then finish off with some white wine!! My only complaint is that you think you are making a ton, but by the time they cook up, it's half the amount and you find yourself longing for more!!
I found a recipe similar to this, but unfortunately, it called for heavy cream and my body can not handle that. Coconut milk was the solution as long as all of the flavors would hide the coconut taste and it would thicken up. I have to say, this was divine!! I could have just eaten the entire pan of the mushroom cream sauce and left the chicken for another day!
I pan fried the chicken. This may be a bit intimidating to some and quite simple for others. Since chicken is a fairly lower fat meat, it's easy to over cook if not fried just right. You could simply bake the chicken and then smother it in the mushroom sauce. The only draw back to this is that you miss out on all the sucs, as the french call it, or solids from the meat left over in the pan that add flavor to the sauce. When liquids are added to these solids, its creates a great base for gravies and sauces.
A couple of things to remember when pan frying. I would recommend using a stainless steel pan. Make sure the pan is hot before you add the oil and that the oil is hot before you add your meat. The molecules of the pan are collapsing and expanding as it heats up and if you place meat in it before it's hot enough, those molecules will grab a hold of your meat and cause it to stick. Make sure your meat is patted dry and completely thawed out. if not, there will be added moisture to the pan resulting in a longer cook time and over done meat. The goal is to have a crispy golden crust without over cooking the food. Keep in mind the thickness of the meat, thinner meats should be cooked at higher heat for a shorter time. Longer cooking times will result in tougher dry meat. The heat can vary on stoves, but one way to make sure the pan is at the right temp is to listen to the sizzling. You want a gentle sizzling sound, turn the heat down if the sizzling is too intense and turn it up if it's not sizzling. If this sounds too hard but you want a crispy outside to your chicken, you could simply pan fry each side until they are browned, then throw the meat in the oven to finish cooking.
Recipe: Chicken With Mushroom Cream Sauce
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp grass-fed butter
- 1 tbsp coconut oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Heat a large, stainless- steel pan over medium high heat
- Pat the breasts dry and season with salt and pepper
- Once the pan has reached the proper temperature, add the oil and 2 tbsp butter
- Place the chicken breasts in the pan and cook until golden brown. You may need to turn your heat down to medium if it's sizzling too much.
- Flip and continue to cook until just done. Alternatively, you could just sear the chicken and then finish in the oven at 350.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the pan and set aside. Place a tented piece of foil loosely over the plate
- Do not remove any of the solids or oil/ butter from the pan. Add the shallots and cook until translucent
- Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and the mushrooms
- Once the mushrooms have browned and their moisture has evaporated, deglaze the pan with the white wine
- Add the chicken broth and let the sauce reduce by two-thirds then add the coconut milk
- Let the sauce simmer and reduce until it's a sauce like consistency
- Add additional salt and pepper if needed then pour it over your chicken
Let me know if I have created more mushroom lovers!
