skillet dinners Archives - The Midnight Baker

Andalusian Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 00:00:36 +0000

Andalusian chicken is the answer when you want gourmet quickly.

Andalusian Chicken: Quick Gourmet

Who else binge-watches old shows to feel nostalgic? I’m pretty guilty of that on days I just slouch around.

This time it was some ancient “French Chef” episodes. Admittedly I enjoyed Julia Child for her editorial comments. However, there’s plenty to learn in her shows even for experienced cooks.

The episode that featured this delicious recipe hailed from the 1970s. It’s title was something about “working guys and gals.” It was in that era that women were actively back in the job market. And lest we forget that plenty of men live alone and have to eat too, she featured two recipes that can be made in a jiff and were tasty and gourmet to boot.

Updated For Today

Back in the 70s, there weren’t the myriad of products that are available today.

When it came to tomatoes, you had fresh, of course, but canned was only whole plum or crushed. When she demonstrated this, Child used fresh tomatoes. She skinned them and seeded them then made concasse. You don’t have to bother with that now as you can buy many varieties of diced tomatoes. Here I used a can of petit diced. The fire-roasted variety would add even more flavor, but I didn’t have any in the pantry so I used what I had–my mantra.

She also boned and skinned her own chicken breasts. With boneless skinless breasts on sale so much, you don’t have to bother with that either.

As for shallots, surprise, I had some. Julia Child always recommends green onions/scallions as a substitute. If you have neither, use onion. It works.

Tarragon

I love the flavor of tarragon with chicken. I used the stuff in the jar because even though I grow it, my hydroponic garden where it was growing petered out.

A great substitute for the tarragon would be basil–either fresh or from the jar. It goes well with chicken and with tomatoes, it’s a natural. Oregano or Italian seasoning are great substitutes as well.

The Recipe

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Andalusian Chicken

Gourmet chicken in a dash

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: chicken with tomatoes, french chicken recipes, quick gourmet chicken dinners in one skillet

Servings: 4

Calories: 308kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 medium boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/3 cup flour
1 tbs butter
1 tsp oil

Sauce:

2 tbs finely chopped onions or shallots
15 oz can petit diced tomatoes drained
1/4 cup dry white vermouth or dry white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream or creme fraiche
1/2 tsp tarragon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pound chicken breast with a meat mallet between 2 sheets of plastic wrap so they are an even thickness--about 1/2-inch/1.25-cm. With smaller or thinly sliced breasts this may not be necessary.
Heat the oil and the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour then brown on both sides in the hot skillet. This will depend on the size of the chicken breast but about 4-5 minutes each side would be a good estimate. Don't overcook!
Remove the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Add the onion/shallot to the hot skillet in which you browned the chicken. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Stir this well and cook over medium-high heat until the sauce is reduced about 50 percent. It should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
Add chicken back to pan to heat through.

Notes

Chicken stock can replace the vermouth/wine

Nutrition

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Veal Scallopini

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 25 Sep 2021 23:00:11 +0000

Elegant veal scallopini is very easy to make. Chicken works in this too.

Simple Yet Elegant Veal Scallopini

Since I find that the most elegant and tasty dishes are the ones with the fewest ingredients, I’m repeating that claim right now.

A bit of stock, butter and parsley is all there is to the sauce. No tons of herbs or spices or anything very special. That’s it and it works wonderfully.

Veal scallopini is pretty quick cooking too. This meal takes less than 20 minutes to make. And yes, you can make this an everyday-style meal with a evry simple and budget-conscious substitution.

To Veal Or Not To Veal

I’ve found veal hard to find for ages–in both New York City and upstate New York. The reason may be cost as well as supply.

Back in the 1980s when the price really skyrocketed, I remember many complaints about this–especially from the great Italian cooks in my old neighborhood. Italian cuisine uses a lot of veal. These experts suggested turning to chicken breast as a substitute for veal.cutlets in many recipes. Since I considered these women experts, I followed their advice and was never sorry.

So if you can’t find veal or it’s out of your budget, chicken breast is your answer. However, if you do use veal, make sure the cutlets are pounded down very thin and resist the urge to overcook it. About one minute each side at high heat is all you need.

Fresh Is Best

As much of the flavor relies on the mushrooms and parsley, it’s pretty important to use fresh for both those ingredients.

Italian or flat-leaf parsley has the best flavor and nothing beat fresh mushrooms that have been seared. And if you use the veal it does that meat justice to be accompanied by the freshest and tastiest ingredients.

The Recipe

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Veal Scallopini

Quick and easy

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: easy veal scallopini, substitutes for veal

Servings: 2

Calories: 479kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 veal cutlets pounded down to 1/8-inch
2 tbs flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 tbs butter divided
1 tbs olive oil
8 oz fresh mushrooms sliced
1/3 cup rich chicken stock
1 tbs fresh parsley minced

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Add the veal and coat the cutlets well.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of the butter. Add the veal and cook about 1 minute on each side until juices run clean. Remove and keep warm.
Add the mushrooms to the same skillet and stir frequently until they begin to brown. Remove from the skilet and place them on top of the veal.
Deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and scrape up any brown bits. Add the parsley and remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook for about 1-2 minutes until slightly thickened.
Add cutlets and mushrooms back to the pan to heat through.

Notes

Chicken breast may be substituted for veal.

Nutrition

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Paprika Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 21 Aug 2021 23:00:51 +0000

Loaded with flavor and easy to make. Paprika chicken will be a family favorite.

Paprika Chicken: Simple But Tasty

Here’s another one of those recipes that have great flavor but few ordinary ingredients. I know I’m always saying this but the best tasting dishes seem to be ones that are simple and made with stuff you already have on hand.

Where I’d like to say this paprika chicken is “one-skillet,” if you choose to make this with the mushrooms, it’ll be two skillets–and you’ll see why later in the post. Even so, there’s no big washing up after. That’s something that’s important to me the older I get.

About The Mushrooms

I know a lot of people don’t “do fungus,” as one friend said a while ago. The good thing is if you hate mushrooms, they can be left out entirely. The chicken and sauce itself is awesome without them. But if you’re like me and really like them, you’ll want them in there.

The best variety to use is a brown mushroom–baby bellas and crimini in the USA and chestnut mushrooms in UK. The best way to prepare them for the recipe is to do them in a separate skillet. The reason for that is that they will sear more quickly on their lonesome and won’t pick up the flavors in the pan you did the chicken and onions in. Since mushrooms are pretty porous they pick up flavors of other foods. You want to keep them as pristine as possible.

Also, mushrooms should be satueed in unsalted butter. Salt inhibits the searing and caramelization process. In fact, you should never season the mushrooms before they begin to get brown. All this is done over high heat too. You have to keep an eye on them and stir or toss frequently. They are done when all the water is absorbed and they’re a nice golden brown.

Use Good Paprika

Using a high-quality paprika is important here. The dollar store stuff just won’t do. As it is a major flavor in this, you’ll want the best.

I wouldn’t advise hot or smoked paprika here as it would be way too overpowering. Use the sweet variety. This is the sweet paprika I use because it has excellent flavor.

The Recipe

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Paprika Chicken

Great chicken dinner that's full of flavor

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy chicken breat dinner with simple ingredients, paprika chicken, recipes using paprika

Servings: 4

Calories: 525kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2.5 lbs/1 kg total
3 tbs unsalted butter divided
1 tbs oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 medium onion roughly chopped
8 oz brown sliced mushrooms baby Bella, crimini or chestnut
2 tbs high-quality paprika
1 tbs light brown sugar
10 oz heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Pat chicken breast dry. Mix the salt & pepper then sprinkle over both sides of the chicken.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbs of butter and the oil. Add the chicken breasts and brown well on each side; remove from the pan.
In the same skillet, add the onion and stir to coat with the chicken drippings. Reduce heat to low, cover the pan and let the onion cook for about 5 minutes or until they are limp and slightly brown.
Add the paprika and brown sugar. Stir well. Add the cream and stir to blend.
Add the chicken back to the pan. Cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until chicken tests done (juices are clear or 170F/85C internal temperature.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the mushrooms--heat a large skillet over high heat and add the remaining 2 tbs butter. Add the sliced mushrooms and toss to coat with the butter. Continue cooking mushrooms, stirring or tossing frequently until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms have browned. Set aside.
Remove the lid from the chicken skillet, increase heat to medium and let the juice reduce 50%--about 5 minutes, then add the mushrooms to the chicken.

Nutrition

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Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 27 Dec 2020 00:00:00 +0000

Creamy mushroom chicken is fancy enough for company but easy enough for every day.

Creamy Mushroom Chicken Is A Winner

This is one of those simple yet elegant chicken dinners that serves double duty. It’s simple enough for an every-day family meal since it’s easy. It’s also got a gourmet touch that makes it excellent for a company meal.

It works better with boneless skinless breasts but is very good with boneless skinless thighs as well. There’s very little prep with this recipe and it has a short cook time. That means you can have a meal on the table in no time at all.

Prepping The Chicken

If you can get thinly sliced small to medium-sized chicken breasts, that’s the perfect variety for this recipe. If that’s the case, you’ll need six thinner breasts.

However, they’re always higher priced than the regular kind that are frequently on sale so if that’s what you have that’s what you’ll use. To prepare them properly, especially if you have huge pieces, you have to slice them in half through the middle. This is just like butterflying except you cut right through instead of leaving the pieces attached at the end.

Here’s a really good video on how to do this: Butterflying a chicken breast.

Make It New Each Time

The best part of these types of recipes is you can change the whole dish by just changing up the herbs used.

I used Italian seasoning in this.But any other herb or blend would work just as well. Flavor it to suit the tastes of your family and guests.

This also uses some dijon mustard. Vary that by using other interesting mustards such as whole-grain mustards. Those mustards will also add a bit of texture into the mix.

If you’re serving heartier appetites, this is great over pasta.

The Recipe

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Creamy Mushroom Chicken

Great tasting and quick chicken dinner

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: creamy chicken dinners, one pan chicken dinner recipes, quick recipes with chicken breast

Servings: 6

Calories: 295kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

3 large boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 tbs olive oil
2 tbs butter divided
1/4 cup flour
10 oz fresh mushrooms sliced
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup heavy cream

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise; pat them dry.
Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Dredge the chicken in the flour and brown in the hot skillet. Cook each side until it’s golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes total time. The chicken should be 165 F/74C at the thickest part. Remove the chicken to a plate and cover with foil.
Add the remaining butter to the same skillet, let it melt then add the sliced mushrooms. When the mushrooms start to release water, add the garlic and Italian seasoning. Continue cooking until the water has evaporated. Remove the mushrooms from the pan—you can put them on the same plate as the chicken if you wish.
Add the chicken stock, Dijon mustard and the lemon juice to the skillet. Let this reduce by 50%. Add the cream, stir well then add the chicken and mushrooms back to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes to heat through letting the cream reduce a bit— to the consistency of a thin gravy.

Notes

If you're using thinner, smaller chicken breasts, you'll need 6.

Nutrition

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Stovetop Chicken Pot Pie

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 20 Oct 2020 23:00:14 +0000

This stoevetop chicken pot pie is just what the doctor ordered on a chilly night!

Chicken Pot Pie–Made On The Stovetop

Is there anyone who doesn’t love a good chicken pot pie? I’m pretty sure the answer to that question is not many!

One of the best-loved parts of it is the filling. Personally, I could do without the crust on most of them, the exception being the more gourmet varieties with flavorful crusts.

Well, the crust here is eliminated entirely in this stovetop chicken pot pie so what you have is all filling that resembles a thick soup or a stew. It’s so good, they’ll beg for seconds!

No Crust But Something Better

As I said, the crust is eliminated here but since there’s got to be something to replace it–for the comfort factor alone. The replacement is far better than any crust. It’s a nice, big and flaky biscuit.

I opted to use those frozen buttermilk ones because I like easy (plus I’m not a champion biscuit maker either).

You can also use the ones that come in a tube. But use the good kind. Don’t scrimp because they’re worth it. I’d use them myself but am not embarrassed to say I’m really put off by the popping tubes. I know I’m not alone there…

The last option is to make your own. If you’re a great biscuit maker then this is the way to go.

I always make more biscuits just in case. One big one is enough for most people, but if you’re serving some with hearty appetites then plan on at least two biscuits for them.

More Veggies–Of Course!

The amount of carrots and peas I used in this is just right for me, but as always, feel free to add more. Even add another veggie to make it interesting.

Some people like corn and green beans. They go nicely in addition to the traditional peas and carrots.

The Recipe

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Stovetop Chicken Pot Pie

Easiest pot pie ever

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Servings: 4

Calories: 481kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 frozen buttermilk biscuits
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 cups half and half or whole milk
3 tbs flour
1 1/2 tsp poultry seasoning
1 chopped small onion
1 cup julienne carrots
3 tbs butter
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1 cup frozen peas thawed
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook frozen biscuits per package directions. Set aside.
Place stock, half-and-half, flour and poultry seasoning in a large sealable jar and shake until combined.
Cook onions and carrots in the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until soft. Slowly whisk in the stock mixture and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring frequently, until thickened.
Stir in shredded chicken, peas and parsley. cook for about 5 minutes then season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve in a bowl topped with a biscuit.

Notes

If you're not in the US or Canada and cannot find "poultry seasoning," you can find the recipe here.

Video

Nutrition

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Sauteed Pork Chops

Judith Hannemann — Tue, 15 Oct 2019 23:04:51 +0000

These simple and delicious sauteed pork chops are on the table in a jiffy.

Sauté Is A Go-To Method

I love sautéd everything lately!

The reason for that is that it is a quick and easy method to make any kind of meat. It’s also terribly gourmet too.

The “gourmet” part comes into this because at the end of the cooking, you make a deglazing sauce that is very flavorful because of all the fond, i.e., the “burny bits” at the bottom of the skillet. The sauces are also called reduction sauces because you add a liquid and then let it reduce. Reducing concentrates flavor so your meal is never boring.

Make sure you serve these sauteed pork chops with this delicious red cabbage side.

Different Dry Rub

The dry rub here works a lot like a marinade. You should let them sit with the dry rub for a minimum of 20 minutes.

Of course, the longer you let them sit, the better they will taste. However, if you are giving them longer than 20 minutes, place them in the refrigerator to play it safe.

The ingredient that’s a bit unusual here is the ground allspice. It doesn’t impart a bold flavor at all because there’s really not that much in it. But it does give a warm and full flavor to the chops. It’s one of those things where you can’t taste it and say, “Wow, spicy,” because it doesn’t smack you in the face. However, it adds that little bit of secret yet interesting flavor.

It’s Important To Dry

As with any sauteed meat or poultry, it’s imperative to dry off any moisture on the meat surface. If you don’t, the meat essentially steams and does not brown–at least easily.

It’s a good habit to get into since you want to encourage fond to form at the bottom of the pan. Fond is those burny bits left when you brown meat. When you deglaze and make the reduction sauce, it adds tons of flavor!

The Recipe

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Sauteed Pork Chops

Simple sauteed pork chops with a great dry rub

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Marinating20

Course: Dinner, Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: 30-minute meals, Asian pork recipe, pork chop recipe

Servings: 4

Calories: 379kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 bone-in rib pork chops-about 2 lbs/4Kg total about 1-inch thick
1 tsp olive oil
1/3 cup dry white wine or chicken stock

Dry Rub:

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp ground allspice

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Mix dry rub ingredients together. Sprinkle both sides of pork chops with the rub; let sit at least 20 minutes.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil. Pat pork chops dry with paper towels.
Add pork chops and brown 5 minutes on each side.
Turn chops. Add white wine, reduce heat, cover and cook for 5 minutes. Turn chops and cook an additional 5 minutes covered.
Remove pork chops and keep warm. Turn heat up to high and reduce pan juices by 50 per cent. Pour sauce over chops and serve immediately.

Nutrition

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Blackberry Pork Chops

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 17 Feb 2019 00:00:59 +0000

Pork chops in a blackberry sauce is easy enough for family and fancy enough for guests!

Fancy But Easy

Do you tend to make your pork chops the same old way every time? I’m guilty of that myself. It used to be Shake-N-Bake each and every time.

I wanted to get out of that rut, so for the past few years, I’ve been trying new ways to make pork chops. Since pork loins have been on sale for super prices, I really stocked up. When I buy a whole loin, I cut it up myself into a roast and then chops. So with all this pork, I was really looking for some new ways to make them.

This was one of the recipes I tried. It’s different and delicious. It only looks fancy–but it’s very easy!

Fruit And Pork

Fruit and pork is a marriage made in heaven.

There’s so many different fruits that pair well with pork besides apples. Berries are a perfect match.

Blackberries have a rich deep flavor and go so well with these pork chops. There’s a lot of blackberries in this recipe so if you can catch a sale, you’ll be golden. But if you’re like me, you might have some stashed in the freezer from previous sales. Yep, you can use frozen ones in here because most of the berries are mashed. The reserved berries are basically a garnish.

Use A Rich Wine

The original recipe calls for zinfandel. Zinfandel is a great wine to pair with anything spicy. Keep in mind this is the red zinfandel–not the white variety. However, you can use any full-bodied red in here. It will work just as well.

If you don’t use alcohol at all, then just substitute chicken stock for it. But I do recommend using the wine because it adds a great flavor to the sauce.

The Recipe

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Blackberry Pork Chops

Pork chops in a blackberry sauce is easy enough for family and fancy enough for guests!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: blackberries, blackberry sauce, pork chops

Servings: 4

Calories: 459kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs chili powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
4 pork chops about 1-inch bone-in or boneless loin pork chops
2 tbs olive oil
2 tbs minced onion
1/2 cup zinfandel or medium-dry red wine
4 cups fresh blackberries divided
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 tbs sugar more, if desired
2 tbs unsalted butter

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Combine the chili powder, cayenne, salt and pepper. Rub into chops.
Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chops and brown on both sides. Cover the pan and reduce heat to low and cook 5-7 minutes; remove chops from the pan cover and keep warm.
Saute the onion in the same pan over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and scrape up any browned bits.
Add 3 cups of the berries, stock and sugar. Bring to a boil then simmer for 3 minutes. Coarsely mash the berries then simmer the sauce over low heat until it’s slightly thick—about 8 minutes.
Stir in the remaining berries and cook until heated through; remove from heat and stir in the butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the chops back to the pan and serve with the sauce.

Nutrition

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Chicken In Lemon Chive Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 00:00:28 +0000

Simple and delicious chicken in a creamy chive sauce.

Another One-Pot Wonder

This chicken dinner proves once again that you don’t need every pot and pan in your cupboard to make a great-tasting meal!

I’ve gotten lazy in my old age. The last thing I want to face now is a sink full of dirty pots and pans. However, I still want great tasting food and if I can do it all in one pan, I’m sold.

This is one of those meals. The chicken combines so well with the tangy sauce, it’ll be a recipe that you’ll come back to again and again.

Subtle Flavors

Lemon is one of my favorite things to pair with chicken. It really brings out the flavor and adds bright and tangy notes to something that’s rather bland.

Have you noticed that fresh lemons are rather pricy lately? That has not escaped me either, but I’ve found a rather good solution. When lemons go on sale or you can find them reduced for quick sale–buy lots of them. Then juice and zest them all and freeze it. Of course freeze the zest and the juice separately. I usually put all the zest in a freezer bag and take out what I need for a recipe. With the juice it gets a little more complicated. What I do there is freeze it in two tablespoon amounts in a freezer bag and some with 1/4 cup amounts because those are the amounts I will generally use. That way I don’t have to thaw and then re-freeze a larger amount.

Chives also add a lovely delicate flavor to the sauce. If you grow them on a windowsill garden, you’re all set. However, I would only advise using dehydrated ones in a pinch. Fresh chives always taste better so use them if you can. I’ve never had success at growing them for some reason, so I will bite the bullet and buy them in the store when I need them.

A Touch Of Creaminess

The sauce has a touch of creaminess to it as well.

The original recipe called for creme fraiche. I can get that in my local market, but it’s quite pricy. A great substitute is sour cream, although that might make the sauce a bit more tangy. There are recipes for making your own creme fraiche, but I find the taste of it somewhere in between sour cream and cream cheese. It’s not as tangy as sour cream, even though sour cream is the most convenient substitute. If you want more of the authentic taste minus the cost, just beat 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with 2 tablespoons of sour cream until it’s very smooth.

The Recipe

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Chicken In Lemon Chive Sauce

The chicken combines so well with the tangy lemon sauce, it’ll be a recipe that you’ll come back to again and again.

Prep Time10

Cook Time45

Total Time55

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken, chicken thighs

Servings: 4

Calories: 556kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 tbs butter
8 each bone-in chicken thighs skin removed
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large onion roughly chopped
1 tbs flour
10 oz hot chicken stock
2 lemons, zest and juice
4 tbsp full-fat sour cream OR creme fraiche
3 tbsp snipped fresh chives

Instructions

Melt the butter in a large frying pan over a high heat, add the thighs and brown all over until golden. Season with salt and pepper and then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the onion to the pan and fry for 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour, add the hot stock and bring to the boil, stirring all the time.
Add the rind and juice of the lemons, and return the thighs to the pan. Season again and bring to the boil. Cover and simmer over a low heat for about 35-45 minutes, or until the thighs are tender.
Stir in the sour cream and nearly all the chives.

Nutrition

Adapted from Mary Berry

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Chicken Tenders In Sherry Cream Sauce

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 27 Oct 2018 23:00:18 +0000

These chicken tenders are an adult-only meal because of the sherry in the cream sauce and the marinade ingredients. Great meal for the grown ups.

A Meal For Grownups Only

It’s a treat every now and then to have something that’s not entirely “family friendly.” This is a great date-night meal for that reason.

Where I wouldn’t serve this to young kids–apart from the liquor–because their taste buds aren’t fully mature, it’d be perfectly acceptable for older teens. I’m sure that any alcohol burns off in the cooking process, but since I’m not sure if that applies to the marinated chicken, I would err on the side of caution and make this only for adults.

Radical Marinade

I took a chance with this marinade–which is radical because it’s only one ingredient.

The big surprise is that it’s sweet red vermouth. Yes, you heard that correctly. And the idea came from The Two Fat Ladies. They were cooking some game meat–I think it was partridge–and Clarissa said that marinating it in sweet red vermouth not only kept this virtually fat-free meat juicy, but that it also neutralized the gamey flavor.

Our chicken tenders and/or breasts aren’t gamey, but they can tend to be dry. I figured I’d give it a shot and see how it came out. I cooked one chicken tender to see what it tasted like and I admit I wasn’t too impressed. However, I had marinated a slew of tenders so I had to use them.

The big surprise was that when combined with the sherry and sour cream-based sauce, this all came together and tasted, well, fantastic.

Reductions Increase Flavor

Since I have the time to do it, I reduce most sauces food cooks in. To me, the flavor you get is well worth the time invested.

But I do realize that not everyone can afford the 20 or so minutes that this takes–especially when you have hungry people to feed–so thickening the sauce with about a tablespoon or two of cornstarch or flour mixed with water is totally OK. If you’ve used a rich concentrated stock, the sauce will still taste great.

The Recipe

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Chicken Tenders In Sherry Cream Sauce

These chicken tenders are an adult-only meal because of the sherry in the cream sauce and the marinade ingredients. Great meal for the grown ups.

Prep Time4

Cook Time25

Total Time4 25

Course: Main, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: chicken recipe, chicken tenders, cream sauce

Servings: 6 -8

Calories: 316kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

2 lbs chicken tenders
1 cup red vermouth
2 tbs olive oil
3 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cloves garlic finely minced
8 oz button mushrooms cut in half
1 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup dry sherry
1/2 cup sour cream OR creme fraiche
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Place chicken tenders in a large bowl or container that has a tight-fitting lid. Pour in the red vermouth. Marinate at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
Heat oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Drain the chicken and pat dry. Brown chicken on both sides--this may have to be done in shifts. Remove from pan and tent with foil.
Turn the heat up to high and sear the mushrooms until they are a nice deep brown. Deglaze pan with the sherry then add the garlic. Stir in the chicken stock and cook over medium-high heat until the liquid is reduced to about half.
Whisk in the sour cream until there are no lumps/ Add the chicken back to the pan and heat through.

Nutrition

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Pan Roasted Bourbon Pork Chops

Judith Hannemann — Sat, 15 Sep 2018 23:00:24 +0000

The juiciest pork chops you’ll ever eat topped off with a delicious bourbon sauce!

Make Pork Chops Even Better

You can make pork chops even better each time you make them.

Brining is the key to great pork chops. It makes them extra juicy and the addition of herbs and spices add tons of flavor too,

This recipe uses nothing but a basic brining solution. However, you could really go to town here with additions of your own.

My favorite ideas for additions to the basic brine would be thyme or sage because those herbs go so well with pork. If you plan to make any herb flavor additions, I strongly recommend the use of fresh herbs. With fresh, the oils will readily infuse in the brining solution and produce a much brighter flavor.

Plan Ahead

When you brine any meat, the key is planning ahead. Basically, this process takes time for most meats.

While the pork chops in this recipe require only a short brining period, the solution is prepared with hot water and you have to wait until it cools to room temperature to use on the chops. However, if you make the brine ahead of time, you don’t have to add the 30 or so minutes that the solution will take to cool.

I tend to make this on the morning I am making this recipe or even the night before. You don’t have to refrigerate under those circumstances and the brining solution can just sit out on the counter. The recipe for the basic brine is in the “Notes” section on the recipe card,

Don’t Have Bourbon Or Don’t Drink?

These pork chops will still be delicious either way,

If you don’t have bourbon on hand, then I’d substitute any whiskey or brandy for it. In a pinch, a medium white wine will do nicely.

Now if you don’t use alcoholic products at all, there’s no problem either. Simply substitute the small amount of bourbon with beef stock.

The Recipe

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Pan Roasted Bourbon Pork Chops

These are the juiciest pan roasted pork chops you will ever eat! The bourbon sauce on top is amazing!

Prep Time1

Cook Time15

Total Time1 15

Course: Main

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bourbon sauce, pork chops, roasted pork chops

Servings: 4

Calories: 441kcal

Author: Judith Hannemann

Ingredients

4 thick pork chops about 1-inch, brined (see NOTES)
1 tbs Flour for dusting chops
1 Pinch black pepper
2 tbs olive oil divided
1 tbs minced garlic
1 tbs minced shallot OR onion
1.5 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup bourbon
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbs cider vinegar
2 tbs heavy cream

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Season chops with a pinch of pepper then dust lightly with flour.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a large heavy oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chops on one side only. Turn, cover the pan and place in preheated oven for about 10 minutes.
Remove the chops to a warm platter and tent with foil. Drain pan of any liquid that accumulated.
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat. Saute the garlic and shallot/onion until soft.
Deglaze the pan with the bourbon and stock. Add the sugar and vinegar. Reduce the liquid to half.
Add the cream and stir well to blend then add the pork chops and cook for 2 minutes on each side or until sauce is thick.

Notes

To brine chops—add 1/4 cup of kosher salt and 1/4 cup sugar to 1 quart of very hot water; stir to dissolve. Let this come to room temperature then pour over the pork chops. Let the chops sit for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Drain and pat chops dry.

Nutrition

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