Grateful Grits

This delightful recipe shares a kinship with my Chicken with Sherry Cream Sauce, born out of one of those moments when the kitchen inventory lacked the essential sherry. Yet, culinary serendipity intervened, and I stumbled upon a creation worth savoring. Let me walk you through this culinary journey – an uncomplicated dish where the oven choreographs the majority of the culinary ballet.

Begin with approximately two chicken breasts or one and a half pounds. Place them on a cutting board, opting to cover them with plastic wrap for a tidier experience (though not mandatory, it does streamline cleanup). Employ a tenderizer to ensure uniform thickness, then generously season with salt, pepper, and thyme on both sides.

Preheat the oven to a toasty 400 degrees and grace an oven-safe, stove-top friendly deep dish (like a Dutch oven) with two tablespoons of butter. Once the oven hits its mark and the butter luxuriously melts, lovingly coat the chicken in the buttery goodness and let it dance in the oven for a tantalizing twenty minutes.

As the chicken orchestrates its symphony, take to the stove to toast a modest quarter to half a cup of sliced almonds. Keep them on medium-low heat, giving them a regular shake. When these golden gems start to deepen in hue, withdraw them from the heat, shaking them in the pan until reaching the desired consistency. Set these delightful accents aside in a separate vessel, mindful of the residual heat that could lead to an unwanted rendezvous with the dreaded burnt realm.

Meanwhile, slice a half-pound of baby bella mushrooms and sauté them in two tablespoons of butter. You can employ the same pan as the almonds, but ensure it’s generously sized, as mushrooms demand their space. Once the mushrooms exude their liquid charm, introduce one to two tablespoons of white wine and cook for an additional three to five minutes. Set these flavor-rich mushrooms aside, for they deserve their moment in the spotlight.

When the timer heralds the culmination of the chicken’s initial stint in the oven, retrieve the dish, perform a graceful flip of the breasts, and shower them with half a cup of white wine. Sprinkle with onion powder and fresh minced garlic in a specific order – always wet before dry, to avoid a disheartening washout. The ensemble returns to the oven for a further forty-minute crescendo. About halfway through this culinary concert, initiate your pasta water so that it is ready to join the symphony when the oven gracefully beckons.

Upon the chicken’s grand finale, relocate it from the dish, situating the dish on the stove at medium heat. Infuse the pan with a quarter cup of white wine, ensuring a scrupulous scrape to incorporate the flavorful drippings. Follow this with the addition of one cup of cream, the sautéed mushrooms, half a cup of grated parmesan cheese, and most of the toasted almonds – reserving a pinch for a final flourish. Reintroduce the chicken to the sauce, allowing occasional flips.

Simultaneously, as this saucy affair unfolds, embark on the preparation of your noodles. Upon reaching al dente perfection, transfer the chicken back to the cutting board, carving it into delectable bite-sized pieces. Just before serving, introduce a small ladle of pasta water to the sauce – a secret weapon to ensure the pasta embraces the sauce, avoiding the tragedy of blandness.

Portion your pasta with care, a sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and the crowned jewel – the chicken, generously adorned with the luscious sauce. A final sprinkle of almonds adds a textural crescendo. This meticulous symphony of flavors and textures is now ready for your indulgence. Serve, savor, and relish the culmination of culinary craftsmanship.

Chicken with White Wine Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1.5-2 lbs. Boneless Chicken Breasts

Butter

8 ounces of sliced mushrooms, sauteed

1/4-1/2 cup of sliced almonds, toasted

White Wine Blend

1 cup of heavy cream

Onion Powder

Salt and Pepper

Thyme

1-2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1 package of Linguine Pasta

1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Pound chicken so that it’s even. Season with salt, pepper and Thyme. Melt 2 Tbsp. of butter in an oven safe/stove safe dish. Bake chicken for 20 minutes.
3. Take chicken out of the oven and flip it. Pour 1/2 cup of wine over chicken. Season with onion power and garlic. Bake for 40 minutes
4. Take out of the oven, and place on the stove. Remove chicken from dish. Pour 1/4 cup of wine in dish and scrape edges. Add heavy cream, most of the almonds, all of the mushrooms, and the parmesan cheese. Stir.
5. Add the chicken back and flip occasionally, while the pasta is cooking.
6. Once the pasta is ready. remove the chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Ladle a small amount of pasta water into the sauce and stir. Portion the pasta and sprinkle with more parmesan cheese, then the chicken, then ladle the sauce into each bowl and sprinkle with the remaining almonds.