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Sauteed chicken and orzo made even more delicious and rich with Finlandia™ Imported Butter.
When It Comes To Butter, There Is a Difference
Butter is not just “butter.”
Since I use quite a lot of butter in my recipes, I had a chance to see the difference between ordinary butter and Finlandia first hand. The very first thing you notice with Finlandia is it’s texture. It’s velvety and doesn’t break apart when you slice it, even when it’s super cold.
Because of this wonderful texture, I knew it would be an excellent choice for a table butter. Finlandia tastes great on hard rolls, toast and anything else you’d add butter to at the table. This butter is truly amazing! It spreads smoothly and melts much better than what I was using.
If you’re concerned about chemicals added to your foods, then you’ll be delighted to know that the folks at Finlandia don’t add anything to their butter. It’s made from pure GMO-free milk produced on family farms in Finland.
These dairy farmers also own Finlandia, so it makes me feel good to use a product that directly benefits the people who produce it. These dairy farmers don’t mistreat their cows either and as an animal lover, that makes me like this even more!
I should also mention that Finland is one of the most environmentally conscious countries in the world. So this butter was produced by “green” standards for over 100 years. How can you not love it!
Start With Some Chicken
This terrific meal starts with humble chicken breast.
They can be bone-in breasts with skin or some thinly cut boneless skinless cutlets.
It’s important to season them with a bit of salt and pepper before you brown them.
The Source Of The Sauce is Finlandia
I love to serve chicken breast with a flavorful sauce. Since chicken breast can tend to be dry, a nice creamy sauce pairs well with this meat.
What I did here was try to combine my love of reductions because they are powerfully flavorful, with the simple French Beurre Blanc.
The major flavor is, of course, butter. Here’s where I take advantage of the superior flavor of Finlandia.
Once I brown the chicken, I add a bit of wine to deglaze the pan so the sauce picks up all the flavor of those brownie bits, they’re called fond, that remain in the pan. I reduce the wine till the pan is almost dry. Chicken stock, garlic and herbs are added at this point, and the sauce is then reduced by 50%.
Next, you whisk in cream and then a bit of butter until you have a nice smooth emulsification. This has to be done in small steps, but they’re not long steps nor are they difficult to do. You will love the flavor because it’s so worth it!
Finlandia For Perfect Flavor
Have you noticed that sometimes simplicity is better than complicated?
The orzo that accompanies this chicken is a near-perfect side dish for many meals. The key to it’s great flavor is simple–it’s butter!
What you do to enhance the flavor more is toast the orzo in the butter. The orzo is prepared in the same fashion as rice is in many north African countries. First you melt butter, then you toast the grains in the butter.
The flavors become so full-bodied, little, if any, additional seasonings are needed. Just add a rich chicken (or beef, depending on what meat you are serving) stock and cover until the liquid is absorbed.
Now Put Them All Together
Serve up that yummy chicken on top of a bed of buttery orzo then top it with some sauce!
I used fresh thyme to flavor my sauce, but rosemary or oregano would work just as well. If you like basil, that would probably be a good choice as well.
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The Recipes
Chicken with Herb Butter Sauce
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts thinly sliced (see NOTES for bone-in breast)
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 2 tbs olive oil
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup chicken stock
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 1/4 tsp dried thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup cream
- 4 tbs butter Finlandia™ Imported Butter
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the oil and the chicken; brown on both sides
- In the same pan, over medium heat, add the wine and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom off the pan. Let the wine reduce until there's only about 2 or so tablespoons left in the pan.
- Add the chicken stock, garlic and thyme. Reduce this liquid 50%. This will take about 5-8 minutes.
- For the sauce: whisk in 2 tbs cream. Add 1 tbs of butter and whisk until the butter is completely melted. Repeat until all the butter and cream are used.
- Place the chicken back in the pan to heat through.
Notes
Nutrition
Buttery orzo… if there is a better rice side dish, I have yet to taste it.
Buttery Orzo
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Finlandia™ Imported Butter
- 1 cup orzo pasta uncooked
- 1½ cups chicken stock
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt until it bubbles.
- Place the orzo in the pan and stir to coat it with butter. Continue cooking and stirring until most of the orzo looks toasted.
- Pour in the chicken stock, bring to a boil then cover and reduce the heat to a simmer.
- Simmer for 10 minutes or until most of the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is tender.
Nutrition
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Finlandia™ . The opinions and text are all mine.
