We are getting in the mood for heartier meals with big flavor. Chicken with Red Wine Sauce delivers.
Hearty fall meals
With the change in temperature in the Midwest and the waning daylight, appetites tend to shift. There seems to be a natural tendency to eat more in cold weather. Big hearty fall meals become the focus. Stews, soups, and full flavor sauces will satisfy the itch to feed the cold weather beast.
Is it red wine season?
I know people who determine what wine to drink depending on the season. A cold, crisp white is refreshing on a hot summer day. A full-bodied red is the preferred winter wine. It is this wine seasonality that drives this recipe. Saucy with herbs and roasted garlic, Chicken in Red Wine Sauce is like a gateway recipe. Not a full-on stick to your ribs meal, it has a lighter profile with boneless skinless chicken breasts. However, the red wine is a definite nod to cold weather fare.
Panfry
Toss the chicken in a bag of seasoned flour and then panfried in a combination of butter and olive oil. This gives the chicken a little crust and texture. I season the flour with just salt and pepper but you can add any seasoning. Paprika, onion powder, oregano are all spices I have used in flour when panfrying chicken.
Vegetables that hold their own
Umami packed and substantial in flavor, saute mushrooms, carrots, and shallots until lightly browned. This helps to extract some caramel notes which pair nicely with the wine. Also, there is the added benefit of the flavor-enhancing fond on the bottom of the pan. Incorporate the thyme at this point to release the herby scent and flavor.
Fond is your friend
Once all the vegetables have been partially sauteed and are lightly browned, it is time to release the fond before it starts to burn. There is so much flavor, developed and layered, in the fond. Add a ½ cup of chicken stock to scrape up all the browned and savory bits. Cook the chicken stock until it is absorbed into the vegetables.
Fruity and hearty
The wine is the hero here - creating a fruity and hearty sauce. Pour in one cup of wine (less two tablespoons) into the pan, bathing the veggies. Let it cook until it is hot. Combine the reserved two tablespoons of wine with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch to create a slurry. When the wine is slightly bubbling, add the slurry. Stir to combine, watching the sauce thicken.
Once the sauce is velvety and smooth, add the chicken on top of the vegetables, nestling into the pan. Over low heat, let the chicken finish cooking.
Savoring a meal
It seems during the summer, meals can be a pick-up-and-go type of operation. We are in a hurry to enjoy all that the season has to offer. However, fall and winter lend themselves to slower meals that can be savored and enjoyed to the fullest. A table full of family and friends, enjoying good conversation and Chicken in Red Wine Sauce - the best idea of the season.
Another hearty mushroom meal - https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/mushroom-blue-cheese-pasta/
Chicken in Red Wine Sauce
Equipment
- skillet
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic
- 16 cremini mushrooms 12 ounces/346 grams
- 4 shallots 5.5 ounces/159 grams/1 ¼ cups, sliced
- 4 carrots 5.5 ounces/159 grams/1 cup sliced
- 4 chicken breasts boneless, skinless
- ½ cup all-purpose flour 4.5 ounces/130 grams
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoons fresh thyme
- ½ cup chicken stock 120ml
- 1 cup red wine 240ml
- 2 teaspoons corn starch
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °
- Place 4 large peeled garlic cloves on a piece of foil. Add 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap the garlic in the foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
- While the garlic is roasting, prepare the vegetables. Brush any debris off the mushrooms.
- Peel the carrots and slice diagonally.
- Slice 4 large shallots thinly.
- Combine ½ cup of flour, 1 teaspoon of kosher salt, and ½ teaspoon of ground black pepper in a ziplock bag.
- Over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of butter in 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Place a chicken breast in the bag of flour, shaking to completely coat it.
- Add chicken breast, topside down, to the skillet. Repeat with the remaining 3 chicken breasts.
- Saute for 6-7 minutes, until the chicken breast is browned. Flip to the other side. Cook for another 6-7 minutes. Remove from pan.
- Add shallots to the pan. If needed, add another tablespoon of olive oil. Continue to saute the shallots while stirring in the pan.
- After 7 minutes, add the roasted garlic to the shallots. Smash the cloves of garlic, incorporating them with the shallots.
- Once the garlic cloves are smashed, add the mushrooms to the pan. Saute for 7-8 minutes, browning the mushrooms.
- Next, add the carrot slices and thyme. Saute for 5 minutes. If at anytime the fond is getting too browned, scrape it up with a wooden spoon and push to the side of the pan.
- Add ½ cup of chicken stock to the pan, scraping the fond from the bottom. Cook for 6 minutes until the stock is absorbed.
- Add 1 cup of red wine (minus 2 tablespoons) to the pan, heating to a gentle boil.
- Combine the 2 tablespoons of red wine with 2 teaspoons of corn starch. Add to the red wine in the pan. Stir until the sauce starts to thicken. Add the chicken to the pan, to finish cooking for another 5 minutes, nestling them into the vegetables.
- Serve one chicken breast with vegetables, drizzling the sauce over the chicken.
Nutrition
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