Chicken ala NYC

Greetings from New York! Well, I did it - I made the big move to the big city! It's been a crazy few weeks - wrapping up things at my old job in Baltimore (and taking part in 3 MAJOR events right before my last day!), packing up 5 years worth of cooking equipment, clothing, shoes, and stuff, and moving to Manhattan on Erev Shavuos - talk about great timing! But it all worked out great and I'm all settled in and have already hosted a meal at my place!

I intended to have Shabbos dinner this past week with, like, 3 friends. Well, that snowballed into a 10-person meal....and I didn't even have a table or chairs! Luckily, I decided to buy a folding table on Friday afternoon, and we scrounged around the building for a couple extra folding chairs. Crisis averted, and I had a great time with old and new friends.

I decided to make a chicken dish that I actually came up with and made once in Baltimore before I left, but I tweaked it a little. I have to say, this is one of my favorite dishes I've come up with so far! It was so delicious, the chicken was so moist, the sauce was so flavorful, and I got a ton of compliments on it - and you will too! It's sort of a take on my Manischewitz cook-off entry chicken, except that the base of the sauce is mushrooms instead of shallots, and it's a creamier sauce because of the roux that you create with the flour and the oil. This is also a great way to stretch a buck (always helpful when you're paying NYC rent!) because I got 10 portions of chicken (PLUS 2 leftover pieces) out of just 6 chicken breasts, since I cut them into smaller pieces after I pound them out. If you try anything I've blogged about, try this one - you won't regret it!

Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce
serves 10

2 lb. chicken breasts (6 medium sized)
1 cup + 2 tbsp. flour
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup white wine, divided
1 large shallot or 1 small onion, chopped
2 pints sliced mushrooms (I used a combo of button and criminis)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt, pepper

1. Pound the chicken breasts thin using a meat mallot (or heavy-bottomed pan or rolling pin) in between 2 sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Cut them into 2-3 pieces.
2. Season the 1 cup flour with salt and pepper on a plate or in a shallow dish. Lightly dredge the thin chicken breasts in the seasoned flour.
3. Heat the 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Pan fry the chicken breasts in the oil until browned, about 5 minutes on each side. Place the chicken on a paper towel-lined plate.
4. Discard some of the remaining oil so there's only a thin layer left in the pan. Add the white wine and scrape up the bits from the bottom of the pan using a wooden spoon. Reduce the wine by half.
5. Add the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil and turn the heat down to medium. Add the shallots and sweat them for 2 minutes until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, or until they've reduced in size and are golden.
6. Add the remaining 1/4 cup of wine and again scrape the bottom of the pan. Cook out the wine.
6. Sprinkle in the remaining 2 tbsp. of flour and allow to cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the chicken stock slowly and bring the sauce to a bubble.
7. Reduce the heat to low and allow the sauce to simmer and the mushroom flavor to infuse the sauce for 5 minutes. Season to taste AFTER the sauce is at the right consistency. (If you season it before it reduces and thickens, it could get too salty.)
8. Arrange the chicken on a serving plate. Pour the sauce over the chicken and allow to sit for at least an hour (on the warm stove or in a warm (200 degree) oven).