Beths Recipes, Dinner
1 oz dried morels, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 Cups of very hot water
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour for dredging
¼ cup clarified butter
1/3 cup chopped shallots (2 large)
1/3 cup chopped parsley
1 Tbs of minced garlic
1 cup Brandy or Madiera wine
1 cup Crème Fraiche
1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs freshly squeezed lemon juice
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Lift the morels carefully from the hot water in order to leave any grit behind in the liquid. Rinse a few times to be sure all the grittiness is gone. Dry morels on paper towels. Set aside. I strained some of the liquid through a coffee filter and added to sauce for more flavor.
Sprinkle the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge them in flour and shake off the excess. Heat half the better in a large sautee pan and cook the chicken in two batches over medium-low heat until browned on both sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove to an ovenproof casserole.
Add the rest of the butter to the pan along with the shallots, drained morels, parsley and garlic. Saute over mediom heat for 2 minutes, tossing and stirring constantly. Pour the wine into the pan and reduce the liquid by half over high heat, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the crème fraice, cream, lemon juice, t tsp salt and ¾ tsp pepper. Boil until the mixture starts to thicken, 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is heated through. I added more cream and crème fraiche to be sure to have enough sauce for the risotto.
Nancy Stout Hutchison