Chicken & Asparagus Madeira

If you have ever eaten at the Cheesecake Factory you know what this is.

• Ready In: 25 mins
• Serves: 4
• Yields: 4 pieces

Ingredients

• for Chicken

• 1  tablespoon olive oil
• 4  boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 8  asparagus spears
• 4  slices mozzarella cheese

• for Madeira Sauce

• 2  tablespoons olive oil
• 2  cups  sliced fresh mushrooms
• 3  cups madeira wine
• 2  cups  beef stock
• 1  tablespoon butter
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat up 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heatbsp Cover each chicken breast with plastic wrap then use a mallet to flatten the chicken to about ¼" thick. Sprinkle each fillet with salt and pepper.
2. Sauté the chicken fillets for 4 to 6 minutes per side, or until the chicken has browned just a bitbsp Remove chicken fillets from the pan and wrap them together in foil to keep the fillets warm while you make the sauce. Don't clean the pan. You want all that cooked-on goodness to stay in the.
3. skillet to help make the sauce.
4. With the heat still on medium, add two tbsp of oil to the skilletbsp Add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for about two minutes. Add the Madeira wine, beef stock, butter and pepper. Bring sauce to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until sauce has reduce to about ¼ of its original volume. When the sauce is done it will have thickened and turned a dark brown color.
5. As the sauce is simmering, bring a medium saucepan filled about halfway with water to a boil. Add a little salt to the water. Toss the asparagus into the water and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus spears. Drop the asparagus in a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking. The asparagus should be slightly tender when done, not mushy.
6. Set oven to broil. Prepare the dish by arranging the cooked chicken fillets on a baking pan. Cross two asparagus spears over each fillet, then cover each with a slice of mozzarella cheese. Broil the fillets for 3 to 4 minutes or until light brown spots begin to appear on the cheese.
7. To serve, arrange two chicken breasts on each plate, then spoon 3 or 4 tbsp of Madeira sauce over the chicken.