ONE-SKILLET BALSAMIC MUSHROOM BRAISED CHICKEN

• servings: 4 servings

Ingredients

1½ to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast tenders

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large shallot

8 parsley sprigs

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

1 pound sliced mushrooms

1 loaf crusty bread

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1½ cups low-sodium chicken stock

½ cup dry white wine (I like sauvignon blanc

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons brown sugar

8 thyme sprigs

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Season the chicken tenders generously with salt and pepper (see Learn).

Mince the shallot. Finely chop the parsley.

Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken very dry. When the oil shimmers, add the chicken and cook until a nice golden brown crust appears, 2 to 3 minutes per side (it won't be totally cooked through yet). Transfer to a plate.

Return the skillet to medium-high heat (no need to wipe it out) and add the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.

When it shimmers, add the mushrooms and stir to coat in oil. Spread them into an even layer and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes, then stir, spread evenly again, and cook, undisturbed, for 3 minutes more. Stir in the minced shallots. Add more oil if the skillet gets too dry. Repeat until the mushrooms are browned, 6 to 9 minutes total, then season with ¼ teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper.

While the mushrooms cook, cut eight 1-inch-thick slices of bread and place them on a baking sheet. Drizzle generously with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden brown on the outside but still very tender and chewy.

Back to the skillet: Add the flour and cook, stirring, until everything looks pasty and no white specks remain, about 30 seconds. Stir in the stock, wine, vinegar, brown sugar, ½ teaspoon salt, and the thyme. Cook until the sauce has thickened, 4 to 6 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and pluck out and discard the thyme sprigs. Stir in the butter to melt.

Nestle the chicken and any collected juices into the sauce. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve the chicken and mushrooms in low bowls with the toasted bread alongside for sopping up that delicious sauce.

Notes

LEARN

Chicken tenders have a tough ligament that runs through them vertically. Io remove it, grab the end (it looks like a white string) with a clean towel, then put the tines of a fork on either side of it and pull the ligament through the tines. It might rip the chicken a bit, but no big deal. Also, no big deal if you don't feel like doing this; I often skip this step.

BULK IT UP

This chicken would also be delicious over cauliflower mash (see page 78), Plain Jane couscous (see page 203), or rice.