Description
Ina Garten’s Chicken with Morels elevates classic French cuisine with elegant simplicity. Succulent chicken breasts nestled in a rich, creamy sauce showcase luxurious morel mushrooms that invite you to savor each sophisticated bite.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 ounce (28 grams) dried morels, soaked for 30 minutes in 3 cups very hot water
- 1 cup Madeira wine
- 1 cup (8 ounces / 236 milliliters) creme fraiche
- 1 cup heavy cream
Herbs, Spices, and Seasonings:
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Cooking and Preparation Ingredients:
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- 1 ¼ cup (285 milliliters) clarified butter
- ⅓ cup chopped shallots (2 large)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius).
- Carefully remove the morel mushrooms from the soaking water, ensuring no sediment remains. Rinse thoroughly multiple times to eliminate any debris. Discard the soaking liquid and gently pat the morels dry with paper towels.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Coat each piece lightly with flour, shaking off excess. Melt half of the clarified butter in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Sear the chicken in two separate batches, cooking for 8 to 10 minutes until golden brown on both sides. Transfer the browned chicken to an oven-safe dish.
- In the same skillet, add the drained morel mushrooms, onions, and minced garlic. Sauté the ingredients, stirring constantly for about 2 minutes over medium-low heat.
- Deglaze the pan with Madeira wine, increasing the heat to high. Reduce the liquid by half, approximately 2 to 4 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, creme fraiche, fresh lemon juice, of salt, and of ground black pepper.
- Simmer the sauce for 5 to 10 minutes until it begins to thicken and become slightly more viscous. Pour the sauce over the chicken in the oven-safe dish.
- Bake for 12 minutes, or until the chicken is thoroughly heated and reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). For make-ahead preparation, refrigerate the chicken and sauce, then gently reheat on the stovetop before serving.
Notes
- Pounding chicken breasts to uniform thickness guarantees consistent, juicy results without dry or undercooked sections.
- Clarified butter elevates the dish’s richness while preventing potential scorching during high-heat cooking moments.
- Madeira wine introduces complex sweetness, demanding careful seasoning adjustments to balance overall flavor profile.
- Gentle simmering technique ensures sauce remains silky smooth without separating or developing unappetizing texture.
- Rehydrating dried morels requires precise soaking time to transform them from tough, chewy fungi into tender, flavorful mushroom delicacies.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 577 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 43 g
- Saturated Fat: 24 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 16 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Cholesterol: 190 mg