Chicken, Morels, White Truffle oil in a Cream Sauce
Serves 2
This is an absolutely delicious chicken recipe, that is very simple to make. Loraine and I have perfected this as a dinner for two, using our leek recipe as the side dish. The combination of wild morel mushrooms* with the white truffle oil layered over a boneless, skinless chicken breast that has been poached in a cream, mushroom and vermouth sauce can't be beat!
*Note: Because, at times, it is difficult to find decent dried morel mushrooms we have tried this recipe using other wild mushrooms such as black trumpet and porcini. I am sorry to report, that they don't work! In this recipe there is really no substitute for the exquisite flavor of morel mushrooms.
Ingredients
- 14 grams dried morel mushrooms (do not substitute), soaked in 250 ml of water for at least 8 hours, or overnight.**
- 2 boneless, skinless free-range chicken breasts 6 to 7 oz
- sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 15 grams unsalted butter
- 100 grams firm crimini mushrooms quartered
- 200 ml dry vermouth
- 200 ml 35% whipping cream
- white truffle oil
**Note: Ignore the rehydrating instructions on the package. Most will say to rehydrate the morel mushrooms for 20 minutes in warm water.
Directions
- Bring 200 ml of water, the butter and salt to a boil in a saucepan.
- Add the sliced leeks, cover and cook for 7 minutes.
- Remove the morel mushrooms from the soaking liquid with a slotted spoon. Squeeze, over the bowl of soaking liquid) as much of the soaking liquid from the morels as possible. Pour the soaking liquid through a coffee filter and reserve 100 ml of the liquid.***
***Note: Keep the remaining morel mushroom soaking liquid to add flavor to soups, stews and other dishes.
- Chop any large morels in half and rinse all the rehydrated morel mushrooms in cold water to remove any dirt. Squeeze the water out of the morel mushrooms and set the mushrooms aside.
- In a small saucepan boil the vermouth reducing it by half.
- Season the chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. In a saucepan (just big enough that you can lay the breasts side by side with a slight gap between them) melt the butter over medium heat.
- When the butter starts to foam add the chicken breasts. Brown for 3 minutes on each side, then remove them from the saucepan and set aside.
- In the same saucepan that you cooked the chicken breasts add the morel and crimini mushrooms. Cook for 2 minutes. Add a pinch of salt, the reduced vermouth, the strained morel soaking liquid and the cream. Bring to a boil, add the browned chicken breasts side by side, lower heat to a gentle simmer and cook until the thickest part of the breast, using a meat thermometer, reaches an internal temperature of 165°F (about 6 minutes).
- When the chicken breasts are cooked remove them from the saucepan with a slotted spoon. Keep them warm by loosing wrapping them in aluminum foil.
- Increase the heat on the saucepan until the sauce is at full boil. Cook until the sauce coats the back of a spoon, about 8 minutes.
- Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper if necessary.
- Reduce the heat and place the chicken breasts back in the sauce to reheat, about 2 minutes.
- To serve, place a chicken breast on a plate, sprinkle the top with some white truffle oil, then ladle the mushroom cream sauce over the top of the chicken.