Chicken Breast in Cream Sauce! This is a great meal!
I assaulted my kitchen recently to bake this Chicken Breast in Cream Sauce. Now, I must admit, I do not particularly like chicken breasts. And, that is precisely why I wanted to see if I could make it tasteful to me, and pair it with one of my fine, boutique wines from my Direct Cellars Wine of the Month Club.
Wine Tasting Notes
You see, I get these terrific wine tasting notes with each bottle of wine I get shipped directly to my front door. This happens every month like clockwork! And these wine tasting notes recommend the “DC Perfect Pair” for matching up the best food with the wine. They say that a fine wine paired with the right food makes your dinner a special event to be remembered. Well, I wanted to find out if this was true.
My Wine Tasting Notes for this Recipe
My New Plan
I’m still in the learning phases of wine education. And, I’m still learning about cooking, for that matter. So, I thought I should try to cook meals suggested by each bottle’s tasting notes as sort of a challenge. I’ll be keeping you updated on my progress, or lack thereof, for both cooking and wine tasting.
So, I found and used a recipe from Pinterest for my first wine tasting recipe.
The Meal
Chicken Breast with Sun Dried Tomato and Mushroom Cream Sauce
As stated previously, I normally don’t like chicken breasts. Probably because most of the time it is too dry. However, I thought the sauce here could moisten it up nicely for me. After all, the recipe introduced it as, “tender, juicy chicken breasts in a creamy parmesan sauce” so what could be bad? Right?
The Wine
Grande Caballeros Torrontes Mendoza 2017
Now, you won’t find this in the grocery store! This is fine boutique wine. It’s an original from Argentina (Mendoza Region), and it is intended to be paired with Asian and American cuisine. N
aturally, I had never heard of the Torrontes grape before. But it tasted as described in the notes.
Of course, I had to sample some of the wine during the preparation. Sure enough, it was and is delicious! As usual. In fact, all of the wines from Direct Sellers are great. But, if I dislike one, I can always send it back and get it replaced. I haven’t had to return a bottle yet!
Anyway, on with the show! Time to cook!
Chicken Breast with Sun Dried Tomato and Mushroom Cream Sauce
So, before cooking, I gathered my ingredients.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breasts (454g)
- 2 tablespoons oil from sun-dried tomatoes or olive oil
- 1 small onion chopped
- ½ lb mushrooms, sliced (227g)
- ½ cup chopped sun dried tomatoes (3oz, 83g)
- 3 cloves of garlic minced fine
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or a mix of oregano, basil, and/or marjoram)
- 1 cup chicken broth (or 1 chicken bouillon cube and 1 cup of water)
- ¾ cups heavy cream (6oz, 170g)
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese (2oz, 57g)
- Handful of chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
First, I seasoned the chicken with salt and pepper.I then had to sauté’ the chicken breasts in a tablespoon (or two) of the oil I drained from the jar of sun dried tomatoes. I made sure the pan was quite hot before adding the chicken. So, I cooked both sides until each was a golden brown.
I removed the chicken from the pan and placed the breasts on a separate plate.
The Fixings!
Time to add the onion to the same pan, adding another tablespoon (or two) of oil, and sautéed for about a minute, still using high heat. Then, a lid went over the pan after adding the mushrooms. I waited, stirring a little, for about 5 minutes, so the mushrooms would release their liquid. Removing the lid, I cooked until the liquid evaporated and the mushrooms were golden brown (well, sort of). Adding the sun dried tomatoes, garlic, herbs, and broth, I cooked for another minute.
By now, the kitchen was starting to smell pretty darned nice! So, time for another sip (or two) of that delicious pale yellow wine! After all, the wine pairs well with the preparation also! Next, I added the heavy cream and a cup of water, simmering for about 2 minutes. The parmesan cheese was poured into the mixture and allowed to melt (another minute). Finally, I turned the heat off and stirred in the basil.
Last Actions
I like salt and pepper, so I added some more at this point. Yes, I know, I’m not quite the type of person that cooks for health. And, I cook to eat and enjoy. But, I feel I deserve it as a reward for cooking, setting the table, and cleaning up afterwards. Also, it goes well with my wine tasting rewards as I cook the meal.
And, finally, I added the chicken breasts to the sauce in the pan and cooked for just a few more minutes until the meat was done inside. Although not in the recipe, I cooked a blend of rice and pasta in creamy chicken sauce.
The rice and pasta absorbed all of its own sauce. So, I poured some of the sauce from my pan on the plate, added the rice on top, and placed the chicken breast on top with all the mixings. The addition of the rice was a superb choice on my part, I must say!
Time to Eat!
Take a look at this amazing meal!
My Discovery!
I took a sip of wine first, of course! Then dug into the meal. I took a bite of the chicken and mixture and chewed to my heart’s content. So good! So moist and tender!
BUT….after swallowing my food…
I then had a drink of the wine and the taste of the Chicken exploded in my mouth. Might have been my imagination, but it tasted better after I had already swallowed my bite of chicken!
Yes, it is true!
Wine makes a meal special. I can’t wait to make my next meal with another delicious bottle of wine from my wine of the month club, Direct Cellars!
Even now, I can still remember that taste of the chicken, and my delicious wine, whenever I think about eating this meal. I hope you can try it and enjoy it as much as I do.
And, lastly, if you enjoy fine, boutique wines as I have come to enjoy:
Response Magic