Champagne Chicken

by LEON BOUTEILLER

It may seem late to offer a recipe for chicken that includes champagne but that’s the point. Some of you, many of you, may have an open bottle of bubbly unfinished at the end of the New Year celebration; now you don’t know how to use it. Too expensive to pour down the drain, too uninspiring to drink. The solution, use it to cook.

Of course you don’t need flat champagne to make this recipe. It worked decades ago and continues a delicious recipe I use today. Many years ago it was a favorite entree of a girlfriend. We would eat it by candlelight on special occasions.

It is simple to prepare and elegant on the plate. It is best served with a grain or pasta to soak up the sauce. I make it heavy on shallots with a small amount of cream to help stabilize the sauce. The sauce is a beurre blanc or butter sauce. Anytime you’ve eaten in a restaurant and experienced beurre blanc sauce, it’s mostly butter caught up in a temporary emulsion that is silky smooth. With a chef’s deft hand, the sauce is properly seasoned and so good.

This recipe takes a simple idea and simple ingredients to another level. If you don’t have any left-over champagne, open a new bottle and drink it with your meal. Or substitute some medium-bodied white wine for a good date night meal at home.

CHAMPAGNE CHICKEN
Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 pieces boneless, skinless chicken breast, 6 ounces each
¼ cup finely diced shallot
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as avocado oil
¾ cup champagne
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Seasoned flour: ½ cup AP flour, 1 teaspoon fine salt, ½ teaspoon white pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

Place the chicken breasts in a gallon sized zip-lock bag and gently pound to ¼ inch thick using a meat mallet, rolling pin or a small cast iron pan. When finished, discard the bag
Heat a heavy sauté pan over medium high heat with the oil and 2 tablespoons butter
When the edges of the melted butter begin to take on color, dredge the chicken breasts in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess and lay in the hot pan
Cook for about 3 minutes then turn the chicken over and lower the heat to medium
Cook for another 3 minutes or so until the chicken is just cooked through. Remove from the pan and keep warm
Add the shallots to the pan and cook until translucent, but not browned. You may need to add another teaspoon or two of oil to facilitate this
Pour in the champagne and reduce by half
Add in the cream and reduce for a minute and then swirl in the rest of the butter one or two tablespoons at a time until all is incorporated.
Test the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt and white pepper
Return the chicken to the pan, turn off the heat and coat well with the sauce
Serve with rice or any cooked grain of choice, or even cous cous (shown in the photo)
Spoon the excess sauce over the chicken and your side of choice. You won’t want to waste a bit of it!
Garnish with the chopped parsley

This is fairly easy to prepare with a little care and gentle cooking. Don’t reduce the sauce too much. If you do and it becomes too heavy, add a little more cream or hot water a tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency. A good choice for a romantic dinner for two.

Enjoy!