Elizabethan Chicken

Submitted by ncmysteryshopper

"Chicken is surprisingly delicious when combined with fruit! This recipe makes a creamy sauce that is flavored with nutmeg instead of the traditional mace. The recipe calls for fresh ground nutmeg but I suppose you could use nutmeg from your spice shelf….just keep in mind… there is a BIG difference between the two! Once I discovered this I purchased a nutmeg grinder…and will never use nutmeg from a spice rack again….. I found this recipe in Tom Bridge’s “What’s Cooking…. Chicken” cookbook. You can add curry powder to the sauce (in step #5) and/or a little dry white wine or vermouth to the sauce (in step #3) for more flavors."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 4

ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 4 shallots, Finely Chopped
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
• 2⁄3 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 cup seedless grapes, halved
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated (if you are not using fresh nutmeg you will have to add more and adjust to taste)
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 -2 teaspoon cornstarch, to Thicken (optional)

directions

1. Heat the butter and sunflower oil in a wide, flameproof casserole or skillet and quickly fry the chicken breast until golden brown, turning once.
2. Remove chicken breasts and add the chopped shallots to the pan and fry gently until softened and lightly browned – Once Shallots are browned return chicken to the pan.
3. Add the chicken stock and cider vinegar to the pan and bring to a boil, then cover, and simmer gently for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish.
5. Add grapes, cream and fresh nutmeg to the pan, heat through, and season with salt and pepper (add a little cornstarch to thicken the sauce, if desired).
6. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.

Reviews

[enigmused]

This was fantastic. I added 1/2 teaspoon of curry and doubled the sauce. I ate this with some leftover baked pasta with lemon, asparagus and mascarpone and they were awesome together -- in my review of the pasta, I had complained that it wasn't saucy enough. this sauce on the leftover pasta was perfect :) I'm definitely making this again.

 

[Thymestudio]

OH MY WORD!!!! This was FANTASTIC, what a great stop on the ZWT3! As soon as I saw this recipe I knew I would like it and I was not disappointed at all. Easy to make, I LOVED the delicate sauce and all the flavors blended so very well. This goes right into my favorite recipes cookbook and I look forward to making it again. No changes, it is perfect. Thanks so much for sharing this one, I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!!!

 

[susie cooks]

This is really great!..The whole family enjoyed it. They were suprised by the grapes!!! The sauce is fantastic! Love it! I also use fresh nutmeg. It really makes a difference. Thanks!

 

[PanNan]

I wasn't sure about the grapes with the cream and chicken, but I kept coming back to this recipe, and decided to give it a try. I was very surprised at how good the grapes were after being cooked a bit - the tartness mellowed and totally completed the whole dish. DH, who is not an adventurous eater, proclaimed it a five star, and I wasn't going to argue with that. I made the recipe exactly as written, but did not need the cornstarch - I just simmered the cream sauce to thicken it. Great recipe. Thanks for posting it.

 

[Mamas Kitchen Hope]

Delicious! EVERYONE should TRY THIS ONE! So easy yet so impressive! This made the perfect Anniversary dinner for Mike and me! 22 years! I didnt have any sunflower oil so I used plain old veg oil. I wouldnt use olive oil as it may be too much here. These flavors are delicate and luscious! I am so glad that I followed your instructions and used fresh ground nutmeg. Wow! Definitely use fresh! It really comes through here and makes this dish devine! I used red seedless grapes and they were so surprisingly good in here. I thought they may be a little strange- grapes and chicken? but OH MY STARS! how wonderful! They left a tiny bit of sweetness and a flavor that is so complimentary to the sauce. I did add a splash of white wine but it so did not need it. This was even better reheated the next day if that is possible. I served this over some simple plain white rice. I will be making this one again! The only thing I can even imagine adding might be a sprinkle of fresh parsley or green onion to garnish this wonderful dish and give an even prettier presentation. Thanks NCM for a wonderful meal!