Shelly's Recipe

CHICKEN BREAST AND MUSHROOM CASSEROLE

Category: Chicken

Mushroom Essence
1 lb mushrooms
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/2 cup dry white wine
6 slices (quarter-size) fresh ginger
1/2 tsp dried thyme
4 cups fat-skimmed chicken broth

1 lb boned, skinned chicken breast halves, rinsed
3/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tbsp drained capers
2 tbsp cream sherry
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1 1/2 lbs thin-skinned potatoes, rinsed, peeled, and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 tsp cornstarch
About 1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup shredded Gruyere or Swiss cheese
Salt and pepper

Rinse mushrooms; trim and discard discolored stem ends, then thinly slice mushrooms. In a 4- to 6-quart pan, mix mushrooms with lemon juice, then add wine, ginger, and thyme. Cover and place over medium-high heat; stir occasionally until mushrooms are juicy, about 5 minutes. Uncover and stir occasionally over high heat until liquid is evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add broth to pan. Cover and simmer to blend flavors, about 15 minutes. Measure mushrooms and liquid. If there's more than 4 cups, return to pan and boil, uncovered, until reduced to 4 cups; if there's less, add water. Makes 4 cups NOTE: Can be frozen; thaw in a microwave oven.

Pour one recipe's worth of Mushroom Essence through a fine strainer into a 4- to 5-quart pan; discard the ginger. Put mushrooms in a shallow 10- to 11-inch oval casserole (about 2 1/2 qt.). Cut each chicken breast in half horizontally into two thinner pieces. Add chicken, 1/2 cup green onions, capers, sherry, soy sauce, and ginger to mushrooms; mix and spread level. Cover casserole tightly with foil. Bake chicken at 375 until meat is no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), about 15 minutes; keep warm.

While chicken bakes, add potatoes and tarragon to mushroom broth. Bring to a boil over high heat; cover and simmer until potatoes are soft enough to mash easily, about 15 minutes. Drain potatoes in a strainer over a bowl. Pour liquid back into pan and put potatoes in the bowl.

Uncover chicken and drain juices into pan. Boil liquid over high heat until reduced to about 3/4 cup, 4 to 5 minutes. In a small bowl, blend cornstarch with 1 tbsp water and stir into boiling liquid; stir until boiling again, and remove from heat. Turn oven to broil.

Meanwhile, with a potato masher or a mixer, mash potatoes until smooth, adding enough milk for desired texture. Push chicken and mushrooms toward center of casserole to leave a 1-inch space around the edge. Spoon potatoes (or pipe through a pastry bag with a large plain or star tip) into space. Pour sauce over chicken mixture. Sprinkle potatoes with cheese. Broil about 4 inches from heat until cheese is very lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4