Chicken In Goat Cheese, Mushroom, & Dried Tomato Sauce

It seems to me a sauce this rich and thick is calling out for noodles or rice to mop it up, but good crusty bread would work well too. Mashed potatoes, maybe.

This is a party-quality dish, but it goes together in week-night time. 

4 to 6 servings
45 minutes prep time

Make the Sauce:
1/4 teaspoon dry rosemary
2 teaspoons rubbed oregano
1 teaspoon rubbed basil
1 teaspoon sweet Hungarian paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 to 4 cloves of garlic
2 to 3 shallots
1 tablespoon mild vegetable oil
1/2 cup dried tomatoes
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons arrowroot or cornstarch

Grind the rosemary a little if it is in coarse needles, and mix it with all the other seasonings (up to and including the black pepper) in a small bowl.

Peel and mince the garlic. Peel and chop the shallots. These will be puréed so they need not be done too beautifully.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until lightly browned; stir frequently. Add the garlic and seasonings and cook for another minute or so. Add the dried tomatoes and immediately add the 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock.

Simmer for 10 minutes. While it simmers, mix the starch into the remaining chicken stock and set aside. Once the mixture has simmered for 10 minutes, remove it from the heat and let it cool for 5 or 10 minutes. Process it in a food processor until fairly smooth. Leave it there until required.


Cook the Chicken & Finish:
150 grams button or other mushrooms
4 skinless boneless chicken breasts (600 grams; 1 1/2 scant pounds)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
150 grams soft goat cheese (chevre)
3 to 4 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese

Clean and slice the mushrooms. Cut the chicken into large bite-sized pieces or smallish fingers.

Heat the butter in the same skillet in which the sauce was cooked, over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear all over. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have browned and begin to let off some juice.

Scrape the sauce into the pan with the chicken and mushrooms. Reduce the heat to medium, and crumble in the cheese. Cook, stirring regularly, for 5 to 8 minutes, until the cheese has dissolved and the sauce is bubbling, and the chicken is cooked. Stir in some of the Parmesan, reserving a little to sprinkle on top. Mix in the remaining chicken stock and starch, and cook until thickened, just a minute or 2 more. Transfer chicken and sauce to a serving dish and sprinkle the remaining Parmesan over it.




Last year at this time I made Cheesy Double-Baked Acorn Squash.

Posted in: Ontario Food