I love to try out new recipes from my bimonthly Cuisine at Home. The magazine is so fabulous that I have bought it for friends, who have bought it for friends, who have (you guessed it) bought it for friends. One of my cooking comrades always receives her in the mail before me. On delivery day, I get a slew of texts from her talking about the latest recipes that she wants to try which leaves me nothing short of antsy to get my hands on my own copy.
This week I was feeling the fall air so I threw together a meal for the season: Chicken Breasts with Mushroom-Artichoke Ragout, Mashed Potatoes, and Apple Calfouti “Pie”. And the best part? I had it the leftovers lunch the next day!
Chicken Breasts with Mushroom-Artichoke Ragout
3 cups baby bella mushrooms, halved (quartered if large)
2 Tbsp. olive oil divided
1 cup thinly sliced leeks
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. flour
1 can artichoke hearts
1/2 tsp. dried tarragon
Salt and pepper
Saute mushrooms in 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook until browned, 5-7 minutes, tossing occasionally. Add leeks and cook until wilted, 3 minutes. Remove mixture and wipe out skillet.
Sear chicken in remaining 1 Tbsp. olive oil in thepan until brown on one side, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken over and sear it 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with wine and broth; cover and simmer 8-10 minutes.
Blend butter and flour. Transfer chicken to cutting board, cover, and keep warm. Bring wine mixture to a simmer over high heat; whisk in about 2 tsp. of the butter-flour mixture. Use more is needed. Cook until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Add reserved mushroom mixture, artichoke hearts, tarragon, salt and pepper to sauce.
Serve with chicken and mashed potatoes (We should all have a recipe for mashed potatoes under our hats. I like sour cream in mine!)
Tasty local white wine for deglazing and, of course, sipping
In the begining there was a knife, leeks and mushrooms.
Saute away!
Scrumptious
Dessert. This is what I really care about. The Apple Calfouti (pronounced kal-foo-TEE) was a breeze to make and so tasty it is officially gone in less than 24 hours.
Apple Calfouti “Pie”
The Filling
1/2 dried cherries
1/2 cup brandy
5 small Fuji apples, cored and sliced
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
For the Batter
4 Tbsp. butter, melted (plus one for brushing the pie plate)
3 eggs
1 cup half-and-half
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. salt
Ground cinnamon and sugar
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine cherries and liquor in a small bowl; set aside to plump, 15-30 minutes. Strain cherries, reserving liquid; set both aside.
Cook apples, brown sugar, 3 Tbsp. butter, lemon juice, vanilla seeds, and reserved liquor in a skillet over medium heat, until apples soften, 7-10 minutes.
Grease pie plate with 1 Tbsp. butter and heat in oven.
Blend first 7 ingredients for batter until smooth and frothy; set aside.
Pour half the batter into heated pie plate. Layer the apples (reserving juices) and cherries on top of the batter. Top with remaining batter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar; bake until golden and set in the center, 25-30 minutes.
Simmer reserved juices in a skillet until reduced by a third. Serve calfouti drizzled with warm juices. (I would double this next go around!)
If only my photography was as good as this dish!
A great finish.