CHAMPAGNE CHICKEN

Chicken au Champagne

• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 chicken breasts or thighs (skin-on, bone-in)
• sea salt and black pepper (to taste)
• 1 large shallot (minced)
• 1 cup champagne
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon (chopped)
• fresh lemon juice (to garnish)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.

1. Add chicken to skillet and seer for 3 minutes on each side.
2. Remove chicken, and place on a plate.
3. Remove pan from heat, and add shallots. Heat and stir for 1 minute.
4. Add the Champagne and scrape bottom of pan to remove all of the cooked bits.
5. Place the chicken back in the pan, baste with the champagne sauce and place in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
6. Heat butter in a large non-stick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Remove chicken from oven, and add the sauteed mushrooms. Stir in the tarragon and drizzle with lemon juice.
8. Serve with brown rice and Haricot Vert (French green beans).

Recipe Notes

• *Disclaimer* I did not use French Champagne – blasphème!  I just could not wrap my head around the thought of using a $60 bottle of Veuve Clicquot, in a main dish.  That is a champagne to savor and enjoy!  I used Korbel Brut, at $14 a bottle it is a much better choice.
• This dish would traditionally be made with skin on, bone in, chicken breasts, but those can be difficult to find.  I used chicken thighs, and probably always will. 

• Sorry, there is no substitute for the champagne in in this dish.
• If chicken thighs are small, you can easily fit 6 in the pan.
•  lt and black pepper (to taste)
• 1 large shallot (minced)
• 1 cup champagne
• 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon (chopped)
• fresh lemon juice (to garnish)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Heat olive oil in a large skillet.
2. Add chicken to skillet and seer for 3 minutes on each side.
3. Remove chicken, and place on a plate.
4. Remove pan from heat, and add shallots. Heat and stir for 1 minute.
5. Add the Champagne and scrape bottom of pan to remove all of the cooked bits.
6. Place the chicken back in the pan, baste with the champagne sauce and place in the oven. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes until thoroughly cooked.
7. Heat butter in a large non-stick pan. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Remove chicken from oven, and add the sauteed mushrooms. Stir in the tarragon and drizzle with lemon juice.
9. Serve with brown rice and Haricot Vert (French green beans).

Recipe Notes

• *Disclaimer* I did not use French Champagne – blasphème!  I just could not wrap my head around the thought of using a $60 bottle of Veuve Clicquot, in a main dish.  That is a champagne to savor and enjoy!  I used Korbel Brut, at $14 a bottle it is a much better choice.
• This dish would traditionally be made with skin on, bone in, chicken breasts, but those can be difficult to find.  I used chicken thighs, and probably always will. 

• Sorry, there is no substitute for the champagne in in this dish.
• If chicken thighs are small, you can easily fit 6 in the pan.