Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream

When I decided to start this blog I had in mind trying at least 2 to 3, new recipes a week and blogging about them. I could manage that I have to cook anyway right? Right...I have found myself every night working on this "little" project. Adding music was an adventure into the wee hours of the night! I'm driving my daughter crazy asking her all kind of questions about "HTML", and now I want to start adding pictures. This is really addicting! I have to pull myself away from the computer. My book club is meeting in a couple of weeks and I'm only half way through the book! This month's selection is Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson. .

OK, enought of that. Last night I made Sumpremes de Volaille aux Champignons (Chicken Breasts with Mushrooms and Cream) a recipe from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It was wonderful! The chicken was tender and the sauce was decadent over brown rice (tried to make it somewhat healthier).

This is the perfect recipe for when you need to make an impressive meal in a short amount of time. However, you need to adjust the cooking times just a bit. She suggest cooking the chicken for 6 minutes in the oven and it took me at least 20 minutes. Perhaps I did not flatten the chicken enough. Next time I could just purchase the "thin" chicken breast. Of course I did not not purchase a fryer and debone it myself as she suggested....I have to finish reading my book!!

Julia Child Supremes De Volaille Aux Champignons (Chicken Breast with Mushroom and Cream)

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  **Please Note: although Julia suggests to check the chicken after only 6 minutes, this amount of time seems inadequate to thoroughly cook the chicken; cooking time appears to be closer to 30-40 minutes. Please use a meat thermometer to ensure the correct temperature before serving!**"
  
  
  4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (supremes)
  1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  white pepper, 1 big pinch
  5 tablespoons butter
  1 tablespoon minced shallot (or green onion)
  1/4 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
  1/8 teaspoon salt
  
  
  For the sauce
  1/4 cup stock (white or brown)
  1/4 cup port wine (or madeira or dry white vermouth)
  1 cup whipping cream
  salt and pepper
  2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
  Directions:
  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  Rub the chicken breasts with drops of lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a heavy, oven-proof casserole, about 10 inches in diameter until it is foaming. Stir in the minced shallots or green onion and saute a moment without browning. Then stir in the mushrooms and saute lightly for a minute or two without browning. Sprinkle with salt.
  
  
  Quickly roll the chicken in the butter mixture and lay a piece of buttered wax paper over them, cover casserole and place in hot oven. After 6 minutes, press top of chicken with your finger. If still soft, return to oven for a moment or two. When the meat is springy to the touch it is done.
  
  
  Remove the chicken to a warm platter (leave mushrooms in the pot) and cover while making the sauce (2 to 3 minutes).
  
  
  To make sauce, pour the stock and wine in the casserole with the cooking butter and mushrooms. Boil down quickly over high heat until liquid is syrupy. Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until cream has thickened slightly. Off heat, taste for seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.
  
  
  Servings 4