KitchenMagician's Recipe

CHICKEN BREASTS - VARIATIONS ON A THEME

Category: Poultry

Makes 4 servings.

4 chicken breast fillets
salt and pepper
4 tsp. vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 200F.
Trim breasts of excess fat; split horizontally and pound to 1/4-inch thickness with mallet.
Season both sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in skillet over medium-high heat until smoking.
Place 4 cutlets in skillet and cook without moving them until browned, about 2 minutes.
Flip cutlets and continue to cook until second sides are opaque, 15 to 20 seconds. Transfer to large oven-safe plate.
Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to skillet and repeat to cook remaining cutlets.
Cover plate loosely with foil and transfer to oven to keep warm while making pan sauce.
Prepare Sauce of choice.

Lemon Caper Sauce

2 T. butter
2 green onions, minced
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. chicken broth
2 tsp. lemon juice
1 T. capers, drained and chopped
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. cold unsalted butter
salt and pepper

Add butter to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to medium heat.
Cut leek in half lengthwise. Slice in to 1/4-inch pieces.
Add leek to skillet and cook, stirring often, until softened and browned around edges, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add flour and cook, stirring constantly.
Add broth and vermouth, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits.
Simmer rapidly until reduced to 3/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir in any accumulated chicken juices from breasts; return to simmer and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Whisk in mustard, tarragon, and butter; season with salt and pepper.
Spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.

Tarragon Mustard Sauce

2 T. butter
1 leek, washed well
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. dry vermouth (or white wine)
1 tsp. whole-grain mustard
2 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon
1 T. cold unsalted butter
salt and pepper

Add butter to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to medium heat.
Add green onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
Add flour and cook, stirring constantly.
Add broth; increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits.
Simmer rapidly until reduced to 1/2 cup, 2 to 3 minutes.
Stir in any accumulated chicken juices from breasts; return to simmer and cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
Whisk in lemon juice, capers, parsley and butter; season with salt and pepper.
Spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.

Diane Sauce

2 T. butter
2 green onions, chopped
juice of 1 lemon
2 T. brandy
3 T. chopped parsley
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/4 c. chicken broth

Add butter to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to medium heat.
Add green onion, lemon juice, brandy, parsley and mustard to pan. Cook 15 seconds, whisking constantly.
Whisk in broth and remaining butter and oil. Stir until sauce is smooth.
Spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.

Grape Shallot Sauce

2 T. butter
1 c. thinly sliced shallots
2 T. all-purpose flour
2 c. halved seedless green or red grapes
1 c. dry white wine
1 c. chicken broth
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
1 T. chopped fresh sage

Add butter to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to medium heat.
Add shallots and cook, stirring, until just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add grapes and cook, stirring occasionally, another 2 to 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with flour; stir to coat.
Add wine and broth; bring to a boil, stirring constantly.
Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any browned bits, until the sauce is reduced and thickened, about 8 minutes. Stir in parsley.
Return chicken to the pan, turning to coat with sauce, and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes.
Spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.

Red Pepper Sauce

2 T. butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. paprika
3/4 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. dry sherry
1/4 c. canned roasted red peppers, diced
1/2 tsp. chopped fresh thyme
1 T. cold unsalted butter
1 tsp. dry sherry
salt and pepper

Add butter to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to low heat.
Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly browned, 30 to 60 seconds. Add flour and paprika; cook, stirring constantly.
Add broth and 1/2 cup sherry; increase heat to medium-high and bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits.
Simmer rapidly until reduced to 3/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices from breasts; return to simmer and cook 30 seconds.
Remove from heat. Whisk in peppers, thyme, butter, and 1 teaspoon sherry; season with salt and pepper.
Spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.

Mushroom Tarragon Sauce

2 T. butter
1/4 c. dry white wine
1 lb. mushrooms, cut into chunks
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 c. milk
1/4 c. coarse ground prepared mustard
1/4 c. heavy cream
2 T. snipped fresh tarragon

Add butter to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to low heat.
Add flour and stir to blend.
When the mixture starts to bubble, pour in milk, whisking to eliminate any lumps.
Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove pan from the heat. Stir in the mustard, cream, and tarragon. Season well with pepper.
Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon to chicken platter; cover and keep warm.
Spoon off and discard any fat from the skillet, then reduce the liquid until about 1/4 cup remains.
Stir the reduction into the tarragon sauce and reheat.
Season to taste with salt and pepper; spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.

Sauce Lady Jayne

2 T. butter
8 shallots, sliced
rind and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
4 T. chicken broth
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
3 T. coffee liqueur
2 T. brandy

Add butter to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to low heat.
Add shallots and cook for a further 3 minutes.
Sprinkle with lemon juice and lemon rind; add Worcestershire sauce and chicken stock.
Cook for 2 minutes, then sprinkle with parsley.
Add coffee liqueur and brandy; flame the chicken by lighting the spirit with a taper or long match.
Cook until the flame is extinguished and serve.
Spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.