Chicken Forestiere Recipes

AIRLINE BREAST OF CHICKEN FORESTIERE

Steps:

• 1. To make the chicken breasts: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place a non-stick, 10-inch skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat and add oil. Season both sides of the chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, sear, or brown, the chicken pieces skin side down. Sear until the skin becomes very well browned and crisp, about six to nine minutes. You may need to sear the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Once all of the chicken has been seared, place the pieces meat side down on a clean baking sheet and set aside. You are searing only the skin side for texture; searing the meat side will dry out the meat. 2. Add the wine, thyme, and margarine to the same pan with the rendered fat, and cook until the liquid has reduced by half. 3. Place the baking sheet with the chicken in the oven and carefully pour the reduced cooking liquid into the bottom of the pan. Roast for nine minutes until the chicken is firm to the touch yet still has a little resistance to it when poked with your finger. 4. To make the sauce: Place a 10-inch skillet on the stovetop over medium heat and add the margarine, shallots, garlic, and thyme. Cook gently until softened and slightly browned. Add the mushrooms and the veal stock and cook until the mushrooms are tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened enough to glaze the mushrooms; this will take about 13 to 15 minutes. 5. To finish the dish: When the chicken is ready, remove the pan from the oven and place the chicken pieces on a cutting board. Pour the remaining cooking liquid from the baking sheet into the mushroom sauce and stir well to combine. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. 6. To serve, cut each breast into five slices and fan them onto a plate, being sure to serve the wing piece as well. Generously cover with mushroom sauce. I like this dish served with Israeli couscous or pommes purée. Recipe posted with permission from Le Marais: A Rare Steakhouse - Well Done, by Mark Hennessey and Jose de Mereilles

CREAMY CHICKEN & MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each kosher salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the chicken, turning once, until browned and just cooked through, 7 to 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.
• Add 1 tablespoon oil and mushrooms to the pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated, about 4 minutes. Increase heat to high, add wine and cook until it has mostly evaporated, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; stir in cream, any accumulated juice from the chicken and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the pan and turn to coat with the sauce. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce and sprinkled with parsley.

CHICKEN FLORENTINE STYLE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off any excess flour. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate and tent with foil to keep it warm.
• Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and saute until the shallots are translucent, stirring to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the skillet, about 1 minute. Add the wine. Increase the heat to medium-high and boil until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce reduces by half, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and any accumulated juices to the sauce, and turn the chicken to coat in the sauce.
• Meanwhile, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet over medium heat. Add the spinach and saute until heated through. Season the spinach, to taste, with salt and pepper. Arrange the spinach over a platter. Place the chicken atop the spinach. Pour the sauce over and serve.

ONE-POT CHICKEN CHASSEUR

Steps:

• Heat 1 tsp olive oil and half of the 25g butter in a large lidded casserole.
• Season 4 chicken legs, then fry for about 5 mins on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
• Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add 1 chopped onion, then fry for about 5 mins until soft.
• Add 2 crushed garlic cloves, cook for about 1 min, add 200g small button or chestnut mushrooms, cook for 2 mins, then add 225ml red wine.
• Stir in 2 tbsp tomato purée, let the liquid bubble and reduce for about 5 mins, then stir in 2 thyme sprigs and pour over 500ml chicken stock.
• Slip the chicken legs back into the pan, then cover and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hr until the chicken is very tender.
• Remove the chicken legs from the pan and keep warm. Rapidly boil down the sauce for 10 mins or so until it is syrupy and the flavour has concentrated.
• Put the chicken legs back into the sauce and serve.

POULET FORESTIERES

Steps:

• Combine 2 tablespoons flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in shallow dish. Dredge chicken breasts in flour mixture. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden on outside and no longer pink inside. Remove and keep warm.
• Add 1 teaspoon butter to the pan. Add bacon/ham pieces as well as the shallots or onions and cook, stirring for 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes or until softened and browned. Add remaining 1 tablespoon flour and cook, stirring for 30 seconds.
• Pour in stock, wine and cognac and bring to boil, stirring. Cook 5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Reduce heat to low, stir in parsley or chives and whipping cream. Season and return chicken to pan and simmer until mashed potatoes are ready to plate, stirring occasionally.
• While chicken is simmering, place the potato in a pan of cold water, boil then simmer until you can pierce with a fork. Drain. Using a potato masher, slowly add the butter, milk and sage and mix until smooth and creamy. You may not need all of the butter or milk, depending on your potato and how it mashes.
• Put a dollop of mashed potato in the centre of each plate and arrange the chicken around it. Pour the sauce over and serve.