CHICKEN BREASTS STFD w/WILD MUSHROOMS

By BobD

Ingredients

• 2 whole chicken breasts, on the bone
• 2 cups wild mushroom ragout
• 3 teaspoons porcini or olive oil
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon dry sherry
• 1 cup mushroom broth
• 4 thick slices of country bread

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from events.nytimes.com

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a sharp knife to split the chicken breasts in half along the breastbone. Carefully stuff 1/4 cup of the ragout under the skin of each breast. Place in a baking dish, rub each with 1/4 teaspoon of porcini oil, season with salt and pepper and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Deglaze the pan with the sherry, scraping to incorporate any bits of meat or skin. Add the broth and the remaining ragout, reduce temperature to 300 and return for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, drizzle the remaining oil on the bread, front and back, and toast on both sides.

Remove the chicken from the pan and taste the juice. Adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper. Place the chicken breast on top of the toasted bread. Spoon on the mushrooms and juice and serve.

Mushroom Ragout

4 pounds white mushrooms
2 pounds shiitake mushrooms
2 pounds wild mushroom like portobello or porcini
1 tablespoon porcini oil (through Williams-Sonoma) or olive oil
3 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons fresh thyme or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 cup mushroom broth (see recipe)
2 cups rich chicken or beef broth
1/4 cup minced flat leaf parsley

Remove the stems from the mushrooms and set aside for the broth. Slice the mushrooms in 1/4-inch slices. Heat a heavy-gauge nonstick skillet or a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet over medium heat; when the pan is hot, add 1 teaspoon of porcini oil. Place the sliced mushrooms flat in one layer in the skillet, season lightly with 2 teaspoons of the salt and and 1 teaspoon pepper and saute on both sides until golden, 1 to 2 minutes depending on the mushroom. Remove the sauteed mushrooms to a heavy pot and set aside. Repeat this process until all of the mushrooms have been seared. When the final batch is seared, add the dry sherry, scrape the pan well to deglaze and add to the pot of sauteed mushrooms.

Place the pot over low heat. Add the thyme and the broths and simmer, seasoning with the remaining salt and pepper to taste. The mushrooms should simmer for about 30 minutes, until half the broth has evaporated. Add the parsley, stir well and refrigerate in a covered container for up to one week to use in other recipes.

YIELD About six cups