Chicken with Wild Mushroom and Balsamic Cream Sauce

By HeatherS

Ingredients

• Coarse salt
• 1/2 pound orzo pasta
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EV00) (twice around the pan)
• 4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• Coarse black pepper
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 12 cremini (baby portobello) mushrooms, sliced
• 12 shiitake mushrooms, sterns removed and sliced
• 12 white mushrooms, sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (from a couple of sprigs), chopped
• 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1-1/2 cups chicken stock or broth
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (eyeball it)
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream or half-and-half (a couple times around the pan)
• 1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (a generous handful), chopped

Details

Servings 4
Preparation time 10mins
Cooking time 25mins

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add the orzo. Cook until al dente.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add the EVOO. Season the chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the heat, reduce the heat a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts, add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 4 to 5 minutes. Once the mushrooms are brown, season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic, thyme, and shallots. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes, or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook for 2 minutes more. Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar, and cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the chicken back to the skillet to heat up with the parsley, about 1 minute.
To serve, pile the orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.