Nearly impossible to believe that this recipe was made back in January when we were all bundled up inside. Looking at it still makes my mouth water. And wow, this recipe takes me back…from a USA Weekend newspaper insert titled “$60 menu for six”. The menu is a three course meal including smoked salmon & corn chowder, grilled marinated chicken breasts with wild mushroom sauce, sautéed cabbage and carrots with ginger, four-grain pilaf, and to wrap it all up, almond & ricotta tart with poached pears.
For whatever reason, I only saved the recipes for the chicken and rice, although I wish I had saved the sautéed cabbage and carrots with ginger.
I’m not big on making risottos or anything that involves a lot of work with rice, however this four-grain pilaf really knocked it out of the park. Nutty and rich, it really provided a nice firm base for the delicate chicken and fragrant, bold and savory wild mushroom sauce.
The sauce! The sauce! The sauce! Buttery, fragrant and thick, I could have made double and still wanted to dribble more over the chicken.
The sauce was easy to make, the chicken super easy as you grill it…actually perfect for a summer meal (although this was touted as a fall feast). And okay, I can’t remember actually following the directions for the four-grain pilaf to a T. The recipe calls for oven baking for 45 minutes, although I am fairly certain I simply stove cooked this.
Would I make this dinner again? Definitely. Matter of fact this meal warrants a second consideration for a summer meal with the easy chicken grilling!
Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast with Wild Mushroom Sauce
6 boned, skinless half chicken breast, each 4-6 ounces
For marinade:
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp black pepper
For sauce:
1/2 ounce dried wild mushrooms
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 chicken bouillon cube, crumbled
1 small onion, 4 ounces, chopped fine
3 tbsps unsalted butter
10 ounces thinly sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp flour
Whisk together the marinade ingredients and pour over the chicken; cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Mushroom sauce: Pour the hot water over the drive mushrooms and let them rest for 30 minutes. Remove the mushrooms with a slotted spoon and carefully strain the liquid through a double layer of cheesecloth to remove the grit (save the liquid). Don’t have cheesecloth? I used a few heavy duty paper towels to strain the liquid. Very coarse lay chop the mushrooms and set aside. Stir the bouillon cube into the mushroom liquid; reheat.
Over medium-high heat, sauté the onion in butter until browned, 6-8 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms and sauté, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes, until tender. Add the wile mushrooms; simmer for 2 minutes. Scrape everything onto a plate and wipe out the pan.
Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat and stir in flour to make a roux (paste). Keep stirring until the flour turns golden, about 2 minutes. Add the mushroom liquid and stir until the sauce starts to thicken, 3-4 minutes. Stir the mushroom-onion mixture into the sauce; remove from the heat.
Remove the chicken from the marinate, shaking off the excess. Put on an oiled rack on a heated grill. (Or cook under a preheated broiler.) Cook, turning once, 3 minutes per side, or till just done.
To serve, put a mound of the Four-Grain Pilaf (see recipe below) on each plate. Cut each chicken breast into 5 or 6 slices. Arrange over the pilaf and top with the mushroom sauce. Serve extra sauce on the side. (Can’t get enough of that sauce!)
Four-Grain Pilaf
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp margarine
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup chopped onions
2 tsps minced garlic
2 cups chopped fresh mushrooms
1/2 cup medium barley
1/4 cup wild rice
1/4 cup bulgur
1/4 cup basmati rice
3 cups chicken stock, plus more as needed
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Put half the butter, margarine and olive oil in a medium skillet and sauté the onions over medium-high heat until wilted about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes longer, tossing, until they begin to brown. Scrape the mixture into a small casserole with a lid. Melt the remaining butter, margarine and oil in the skillet and add the grains. Sauté until the grains begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken stock; bring to a boil. Pour and scrape the stock and grains into the casserole and mix. Cover; bake for 45 minutes. Check after 30 minutes to make sure that the mixture is not drying out. (If it is, add a little bit of stock or water.) Let sit out of the oven for about 5 minutes, covered, before serving.
Suze's Adventures 