Roasted Chicken Breasts with Morel Mushroom Pan Sauce
I recently went morel mushroom picking, something I have wanted to do for a long time! Although challenging to pick out with all the pine cones on the forest floor, it was fun finding patches of them. It’s a popular “sport” so it’s not always easy to find a patch.
Morels are my FAVOURITE mushroom…. soooo delicious!
Yield: 2-4
Total Time: 30 minutes +/-
INGREDIENTS:
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
¼ cup dry white wine
¾ cup chicken broth
2-3 tsp cornstarch, more if needed
4 oz fresh morel mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and cut in half lengthwise
1 small shallot, minced
1 clove of garlic, cut into slivers
1 ½ tbsp unsalted butter
1 tsp coconut aminos or organic soy sauce
2 tbsp fresh chives, minced
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust the oven rack to center position and preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
Rinse and pat chicken breasts dry with a paper towel then season well with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat. Carefully lay chicken breasts into a hot skillet and cook for 5-6 minutes. Flip chicken breasts over and transfer skillet to the oven to roast for 10-12 minutes, or until cooked through.
While the chicken is roasting, add the chicken stock, wine, and cornstarch to a liquid measuring cup and whisk well. Set aside.
Remove the skillet from the oven and transfer chicken to a cutting board covered loosely by a tinfoil tent. Set aside to let the chicken rest while you make the pan sauce.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and place over medium-high heat. Add morel mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until well-browned, about 4 minutes. Add the shallots and garlic slivers and cook, stirring often, until softened and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Whisk the stock/wine/cornstarch mixture well and add it to the mushrooms. Cook, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Continue cooking on high heat until sauce is reduced by about two-thirds, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the butter and soy sauce and cook at a hard boil until emulsified, about 30 seconds. Taste sauce and season with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, if needed. Remove from the heat.
Slice the chicken breasts and transfer them to individual serving plates. Spoon sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped chives. Serve immediately. Enjoy.
Recipe and photos by For the Love of Cooking.net