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Chicken With Red Peppers And Mushrooms In A Brandy/Cream Sauce
First Published in the Amherst Citizen - Oonagh's Kitchen (Feb. 8, 2000)We're now in the new Millenium and it's only one week away from Valentines. It seems hard to believe, doesn't it? Will we still celebrate Valentines in the same way or is anyone going to do anything radically different? For myself, I prefer not to go out on Valentines night. The restaurants tend to be crowded and I don't find the level of noise that enjoyable.
This is one of my favorite dishes from England. You can prepare this dish on Sunday as far as the end of step 4 and refrigerate. Then on Monday night you only have to reheat the vegetable mix, add the chicken and proceed. Even the rice can be cooked the night before. You can then enjoy an intimate dinner for two with almost no work or dirty dishes, as well as no aggravation over who was booking which table where! Of course, you still have to go out for a meal the following week.
Many people are scared of flaming or flambéeing. This is understandable since most people are more than a little wary of setting fire to a pan. When you're ready, just pull the skillet to one side of the stove, add the brandy and light it with either a gas grill gun or a piece of long raw spaghetti. This is the safest way to do it if you are not used to setting fire to a pan (other than accidentally that is!). It is almost impossible on a domestic stove to set fire to a pan tilted on its side as modern stoves have safeguards built in so that the gas flames will not physically reach high enough.
Chicken With Red Peppers And Mushrooms In A Brandy/Cream Sauce
Ingredients for 2 people
- 1-3/4 c milk (1% is fine)
- 3/4 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into small strips
- 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely crushed
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tbsp. butter
- 1/2 of 12 oz packet fresh mushrooms, wiped clean and thinly sliced
- 1 small red bell pepper, deseeded, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1/4 c brandy -buy a miniature at the liquor store if you don't have a bottle. (use a measuring cup, don't pour straight from the bottle)
- 3/4 c whipping or heavy cream
- 1 tbsp. lemon juice
- cornstarch mixed with water to thicken (optional)
- salt and pepper
- chopped fresh parsley to finish
Method
1. Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat, add butter and oil, add onions and garlic once butter is melted.2. Cover and cook over a low heat for 3-5 minutes until onion and garlic are very soft and colorless.
3. Add strips of bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes over medium heat.
4. Add slices of mushroom and cook for 1 minute over medium heat.
5. Increase heat to high, add chicken strips and salt and pepper, and quickly fry chicken until no longer pink on either side - about 3-5 minutes.
6. Add brandy and flame -use gas grill gun or stick of raw spaghetti as a match
7. Once flames die down, add cream and lemon juice and allow to cook on medium heat, uncovered for 3-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
8. If the sauce is still runny, then thicken with cornstarch.
9. Serve over rice and sprinkle with fresh parsley.
Oonagh Williams, proprietor of Royal Temptations, has a Culinary Arts degree, offers a Personal Chef service, teaches a variety of classes in International Cooking, and makes regular appearances on WMUR ABC Channel 9's Cooks' Corner. You can contact Oonagh at 603-424-6412.