Chicken Fricassee with Shallots, Shiitakes and Herbs
2 boneless chicken breasts, sliced in half lengthwise to make 4 cutlets
1⁄4 c flour
3 T grated parmesan cheese
1 t herbes de Provence (if you don’t have this, dried thyme will work)
1⁄2 t kosher salt
1⁄4 t black pepper
3 T unsalted butter, divided
3 T olive oil, divided
2 shallots, halved then thinly sliced (or use 1⁄2 an onion)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1⁄3 c sherry or apple cider vinegar
1⁄2 c chicken broth
3 T heavy cream
1 T chopped fresh thyme leaves (or 1 t dried)
1⁄2 T chopped fresh rosemary leaves (or 1⁄2 t dried)
8 oz shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and thickly sliced into 1⁄2” slices
2 T chopped parsley, for garnish
Add 2 T olive oil and 1 T butter to a heavy skillet and heat over a medium high flame. Combine flour, parmesan, herbes de Provence, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken cutlets in flour mixture. Add chicken to the hot pan and sauté for about 4 minutes on one side to brown, then turn the cutlets to brown 3 minutes on side two. Don’t crowd the pan, brown in batches if necessary. It’s ok if they’re not cooked all the way through at this point. They will be returned to the pan later. Remove chicken from the pan onto a plate.
Add 1 T butter to the same pan and add the shallots, garlic, thyme, and rosemary. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and sauté over medium heat for about 2 minutes, to brown the shallots a bit but not burn the garlic. Increase the heat and add the vinegar, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Over medium high heat, reduce the vinegar by half, then add the chicken broth and stir. Cook 2 minutes, then lower the heat, add cream and let sauce simmer.
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick skillet over medium high heat, and add 1 T olive oil and 1 T butter. Add mushrooms to the pan, sprinkle with some salt and sauté, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Return chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices, add mushrooms and cook over low heat for a few minutes to warm and ensure the chicken is cooked through (165 degrees in the thickest part of the cutlet). Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with chopped parsley.