Chicken Breasts Bordelaise

Last night after a long, yet rewarding day, I looked forward to coming home, slipping into my comfiest flannel pyjamas, and cooking the evening meal - which for Thursday was Chicken Breasts Bordelaise.

Creamy tender chicken in a tarragon infused white wine sauce

Although it's a take off on a classic bordelaise sauce, traditionally made with red wine and bone marrow, my simple version of white wine, chicken stock, mushrooms and tarragon is an absolute winner.

The first time I ever made this was early in my marriage - with the man I married being completely unaccustomed to food that didn't come out of a can or box. To this day, I will never forget going for dinner at his apartment and being served breaded mechanically deboned chicken cutlettes stacked like pancakes on a plate and drizzled with ketchup.

As you can imagine, introducing him to new flavours has become a passion, as has creating a reverence for the comforting ritual of sharing a meal.

We live in a culture that tells us it's wrong to turn to food for comfort, and I think that's a shame.

Because food, like love, is an ultimate source of comfort and sustenance.

We were given taste buds and appetites for a reason.

It's just that over the years as our hectic stress filled lives have gotten busier and busier, people have become disconnected from what good food actually tastes like and have been willing to accept second best.

It is my belief that ingredients like butter and cream are not the things making us fat - rather it is the over abundance of processed food - foods that were created, not by loving hands but massed produced by machines, that are feeding our fat cells instead of our souls.

But how to feed the soul?

Chicken Breasts Bordelaise with Smashed Potatoes and Asparagus is a good place to start.

A luscious blend of flavours and ingredients that celebrate the comfort of coming home.

For printable recipe click HERE

Ingredients

• 4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• juice of one lemon
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp herbes de provence or thyme
• 3 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1/2-1 pound sliced button mushrooms
• 4 tbsp flour
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 tsp tarragon *or* 1 bay leaf

Directions

1. In the morning or previous evening, rub breasts with lemon juice.
2. Mix salt, pepper, and herbes de provence or thyme on a plate. Roll the breasts in the spices; put in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry breasts until golden on both sides. Remove and place in a deep casserole.
4. After all the chicken is brown, use the same frying pan and add butter. When hot, add mushrooms and stir; cook 1 minute over high heat.
5. Add flour and stir until well mixed.
6. Add stock and wine; cook over medium heat until creamy stirring constanly.
7. Add tarragon or bay leaf, taste for seasoning.
8. Pour sauce over chicken.
9. Cover and bake for 1 hour at 300 F

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Take the time.

Cook your meals.

Taste, smell, and celebrate flavour.

Most of all, take the steps needed in order to fall in love with your own life - whether that be cooking a beautiful meal or calling an old friend.

It all matters.

We each hold the key to opening our own personal doors of happiness and fulfillment.

And chicken breasts with bordelaise sauce is guaranteed to make everyone happy :-)

Stop by tomorrow for a blog about meal planning for the holidays and a dynamite recipe for beef enchiladas.

Boo!



This recipe is linked to Prairie Story: Recipe Swap Thursday

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