“… I came home and cooked chicken fillet with mushrooms, sour cream and port wine. And here’s the news: I’ve been roasting mushrooms wrong all my life. You don’t need to pile them on a lot, otherwise they won’t brown. ”
We watched the movie Julie and Julia. Cooking happiness according to the recipe? If yes, then you know about the famous in culinary circles Julia Child, who adapted French cuisine recipes for American housewives. She hosted her own show, was the co-author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and is also a very interesting woman. There are many interesting French cuisine recipes in the film, two of which particularly attracted me: beef burgundy (boeuf bourguignon) and chicken breasts with port wine, cream and mushrooms (poulet au porto). By the way, in the recipes of Julia Child, alcohol is quite common, in the book “Lessons in French Cooking” she writes:
“Food, like people, wine can revive, or it can, like people, spoil it. What gives character to a dish is not the alcohol content of wine, vermouth, Madeira, or brandy – alcohol usually evaporates during cooking – but the aroma of the drink. Therefore, the wine or alcohol in the cook’s arsenal must be of good quality. Too pronounced fruity taste of wine, its excessive acidity or unpleasant aftertaste during cooking will only become brighter, because usually the volume of the liquid decreases, and its taste becomes more concentrated. If you do not have good wine, it is better not to use it at all, because bad wine can spoil a simple dish and completely destroy a fine one.
Рецепт Chicken in Porto
The combination of mushrooms, cream and chicken fillet is often found, because this is one of the most excellent combinations. The Poulet au Porto recipe is simple, but there is one caveat – it is not recommended to prepare the dish in advance, as the chicken will lose its juiciness and freshness. Chicken breasts are fried, butchered and flambéed in cognac, after which they are left for several minutes in a sauce of champignons, cream and port wine.
As a side dish, it is better to serve simple dishes that will not interrupt the flavor of Poulet au Porto. For example, you can serve potatoes, risotto or stewed vegetables. Chilled white wine (Meursault, Montrachet) goes well with this dish.
Servings: 4
Ingredients and Cooking
Chicken
- Chicken fillet, ready to cook – 4 pcs. (by weight just over 1 kg)
Fry the fillet until golden brown, clear juice should flow when pierced, the structure should be soft and juicy. It’s important not to overcook. When the chicken is ready, place it on a cutting board and let it “rest” while the sauce cooks. Do not wash the pan, leave fat in it, we still need it.
Mushrooms (preparation)
- Fresh champignons – 0,5 kg
While the chicken is frying, wash, peel and cut the mushrooms (if they are small, then you can cook them whole, if they are large, cut into slices or quarters).
Mushrooms (cooking)
- Water – ¼ cup
- Butter – 0,5 tablespoons
- Lemon juice – 0,5 teaspoon
- Salt – ¼ tsp
In a 2,5 liter enamel or stainless steel saucepan, bring a quarter cup of water to a boil along with butter, lemon juice and salt. Add mushrooms, cover and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain the liquid into a separate container for further use.
Stewing mushrooms with cream
- Whipped cream – 1 cup
- Cornstarch 0,5 tbsp
- Salt and pepper
Mix half a tablespoon of starch with one tablespoon of cream, pour this mixture over mushrooms, add 1 cup of cream and simmer for two minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, set aside.
Sauce in a pan
- Chopped shallots or green onions – 0,5 tbsp.
- Semi-dry port – 1/3 cup
- Bouillon left over after boiling mushrooms
- Mushrooms stewed in cream
- Salt and pepper
- A few drops of lemon juice
Leave about two tablespoons of fat in the pan, drain the rest. Heat up a frying pan, add half a tablespoon of chopped shallots or green onions and simmer over low heat for one minute. Next, add the port wine and broth, stir to evaporate the liquid (about a quarter cup should evaporate). Add mushrooms with cream, simmer for 2-3 minutes, so that the mixture thickens slightly. Season the sauce to taste, add a few drops of lemon juice.
Chicken flambé
- fireproof brazier, saucepan
- Butter – 1 tablespoon
- Salt – 1 / 8 teaspoon
- Cognac – ¼ cup
Lubricate the inside of the pan or roasting pan with oil, cut the cooked chicken into portions, brush with salt and place in the roasting pan. Next, flambé the fillet. Put on moderate heat and wait until the chicken begins to sizzle slightly. Pour in brandy and set fire to a match (be careful of your face), shake the pan until the fire subsides.
After that, it is necessary to evenly pour the mushroom sauce into the brazier, cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes over low heat, not allowing to boil. Poulet au Porto is ready to serve immediately. Bon appetit!
Information was taken from the book ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ (Julia Child)