Chicken With Morels Recipes

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH MOREL MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Season the chicken generously all over with salt and pepper.
• Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is shimmering and just starting to smoke, add the chicken skin-side down and cook until golden brown all over, flipping halfway through, about 12 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate; set aside.
• Return the pan to medium heat and add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring often, until the shallots are soft and the garlic is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook, gently stirring and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon, until the mushrooms begin to release liquid, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to a medium bowl and set aside.
• Add the wine to the pan and bring to a boil. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Add the broth and thyme and bring back to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up, along with any juices from the plate and cover with the lid slightly ajar. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.
• Swirl in the cream and return the mushroom mixture to the pan. Simmer (uncovered) over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on a serving plate, spoon the mushroom sauce over and sprinkle with chives.

RICK STEIN'S CHICKEN FRICASSéE WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Soak the morels in the tepid water for about 15 minutes, then drain them in a fine sieve over a bowl. Strain the liquid and reserve 75ml for the sauce. Rinse the morels under cold running water to remove any debris and dry them on kitchen paper. Cut them in half lengthways. Melt half of the butter in a large sauté pan or frying pan. Fry the chicken, skin-side down, for 2-3 minutes until light golden brown, then turn them over and repeat on the other side. Take the chicken out of the pan and set aside. Add the remaining butter to the pan. Fry the shallot over a medium heat until softened, then add the morels and chestnut mushrooms and fry for a few minutes. Add the Noilly Prat or sherry, the morel soaking liquid and chicken stock, bring to the boil, then turn the heat down and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the crème fraiche and stir, then put the chicken back in the pan, along with any juices that have seeped out. Cover the pan and cook the chicken over a medium heat for about 8 minutes or until it is cooked through. Season with salt and plenty of black pepper and serve immediately with pilaf rice (page 303 of Rick Stein's Secret France) or potatoes.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN IN CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Season the chicken parts aggressively with salt. Set a Dutch oven or large, high-sided sauté pan over high heat, and swirl the olive oil into it. When it is shimmering and about to smoke, turn the heat to medium high, and working in batches, add the chicken to the pan, skin-side down, setting the pieces aside to rest when they are golden and crisp on one side and just kissed by the heat on the other, approximately 30 minutes for all the meat.
• Discard all but 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan, then return it to medium-high heat and add the mushrooms, tossing to coat them with fat. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms just begin to soften, approximately 3-4 minutes, then remove the pan from the heat. Add the Cognac, and carefully ignite it with a match, or simply cook it on very low heat until the alcohol has evaporated and the mushrooms are glossy.
• Scrape the mushrooms to the sides of the pan, then add to it the chicken pieces, arranged in a single layer if possible. Pour 1 to 1 1/2 cups of chicken stock around the chicken. It should rise about halfway up each piece. Lower heat to medium, allow the mixture to come to a low simmer, then put a lid on the pan and allow the mixture to cook slowly until the meat has cooked through, approximately 15 minutes.
• Remove the lid from the pan, and transfer the chicken pieces to a platter to rest. Turn the heat to medium high, and allow the chicken stock to reduce by 1/3, then add the heavy cream, and stir to incorporate. Let this mixture simmer for a minute or 2 until it starts to thicken, then add the Madeira, and swirl again to combine.
• Continue cooking the sauce until it can enrobe the back of a spoon, approximately 2-3 minutes more, then stir in the butter, crème fraîche and chopped savory and stir to combine. Turn the heat off, add the tarragon, stir one more time and then return the chicken pieces to the pan. Spoon some sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the parsley and serve.

CHICKEN FRICASSEE WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Soak morels in 3 cups very hot water for 30 minutes to re-hydrate. Lift them carefully from the hot water in order to leave any grit behind in the liquid. Discard the liquid, and dry the morels lightly with paper towels. Cut morels crosswise into 1/4-inch to 3/8-inch wide slices and set aside. Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour, and shake off excess. Heat half the clarified butter (1/8 cup) in a large saute pan, and cook the chicken over medium heat for about 8 to 10 minutes. Flip the chicken and brown on the second side, 4 to 5 minutes more. Remove to an ovenproof casserole dish. Add the rest of the clarified butter (the other 1/8 cup) to the same saute pan, add the morels and button mushrooms, and cook gently over low heat for 2 minutes. Then add the Madeira and reduce the liquid by half.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• When the liquid is reduced, add the beef stock and heavy cream and bring to a gentle boil. Let the mushroom sauce cook until mixture starts to thicken, about 5 to 10 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and bake covered in the oven until done, about 25 to 35 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh lemon juice and serve.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH MORELS

Steps:

• Put morels in mixing bowl and add warm water to cover. Let stand 30 minutes or longer. Drain.
• Put each chicken breast half on flat surface, trim off all remnants of fat and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in small heavy skillet and add 1 tablespoon of shallots. Cook, stirring, until wilted. Add drained morels, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, about 1 minute and add 1/2 of wine. Cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream and cook 2 minutes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in skillet large enough to hold chicken in one layer. Add chicken pieces and cook over moderately high heat. As chicken pieces cook, stir gently without turning about 3 minutes or until nicely browned. Turn and continue cooking about 5 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to warm serving dish, arranging neatly. Add remaining shallots to skillet and stir briefly. Add remaining wine and stir to dissolve brown particles that cling to bottom of pan. Cook down until not quite evaporated. Add chicken broth and cook 1 minute.
• Heat morels in cream and spoon around chicken.
• Swirl remaining tablespoon of butter into sauce with chicken broth and spoon over chicken pieces.

CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS AND MORELS

Steps:

• Melt 2 tablespoons chicken fat in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add chicken to skillet and cook, turning once, until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining chicken fat to skillet. Add shallots and sauté until soft, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté until they begin to release liquid, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer mushrooms to a plate. Add wine to skillet and boil until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock; bring to a boil. Return chicken to skillet, cover with lid slightly ajar, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a platter. Return mushrooms to skillet; add cream. Simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.