I was only cooking for one tonight, so this is a supper for one – just double everything for two. My chicken breast has its skin on because I buy whole chickens and joint them myself, but skinless is fine. Please do rest the chicken at the end: it makes all the difference to the flavour and juiciness.
Ingredients
- 1/2 tsp chicken schmaltz or a splash of vegetable oil
- 1 chicken breast skin on (optional), salted on both sides a few hours ahead
- 8 mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 leek white part, finely sliced
- salt and pepper
- splash Madeira or Marsala or white wine
- 100 ml chicken stock
- 1 tsp thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp parsley chopped
- 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp wholegrain mustard optional – or use 1 tsp Dijon in total
- 2 tbsp double cream about 30ml
- squeeze lemon juice
- chives to serve
Instructions
- Heat the schmaltz or oil in a frying pan. Add the chicken skin side down and cook for about 5 minutes, then turn and give it 2 minutes on the other side. It doesn't need to be cooked through. Set aside.
- Turn the heat up, add the mushrooms and cook until they start to colour. Add the leek with a little salt and pepper and cook until soft and lightly golden.
- Add a splash of Madeira and let it reduce, about a minute.
- Add the stock and reduce right down.
- Stir in the thyme, parsley and both mustards, taste for salt, then stir in the cream.
- Sit the chicken on top, skin side up and out of the sauce, and cook for 4–5 minutes.
- Lift out the chicken and rest it for 5–6 minutes, adding any resting juices to the sauce.
- Slice the chicken on the diagonal. Add a good squeeze of lemon and some pepper to the sauce and taste once more.
- Spoon the leeks and mushrooms onto a plate, sit the chicken on top and snip over some chives.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
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