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Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Pan Chicken with White Wine Sauce Mirepoix



Recipe updated July 2015

“Mirepoix” is the French term for a chopped vegetable medley—carrots, celery, and onion—used as a base for sauces, braising liquids, stews, and other dishes. Fresh herbs such as basil, tarragon, or rosemary are sometimes added.

For this recipe, I wanted to play up the mirepoix as more than the sauce starter, essentially turning the vegetables into a side dish for the chicken, along with a rich, creamy sauce to highlight the entire dish. I cut the vegetables larger than typical for mirepoix and used cornstarch to thicken the sauce, resulting in a simple, one-pan meal full of warm, savory flavor—and it's very easy to prepare.

Serves 4

Ingredients
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1-1/2 lbs total)
  • flour, for dredging
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • 1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped peeled carrots
  • 1-1/2 cups coarsely chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped white onion
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • chopped fresh tarragon, for garnish
Mirepoix Ingredients
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to its lowest temperature (to keep the chicken warm).
  2. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Dredge the chicken breasts in flour, shaking off excess. Season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown on the bottom, 8-10 minutes, depending on thickness.
  3. Turn and cook until the chicken is golden brown on the other side and just cooked through, 7-8 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and keep warm in the oven.
Chicken Beginning to Cook
Cooked Chicken
  1. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the carrots, celery, and onion. Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up brown bits, 2 minutes.
  2. Add the wine, cover the pan, and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, 12-13 minutes.
  3. Combine the chicken broth and cornstarch in a bowl, stirring well to dissolve the cornstarch. Stir the mixture into the pan and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until the sauce is slightly thickened and the vegetables are tender, 3-4 minutes.
  4. Return the chicken and accumulated juices to the pan, turning a few times to coat. Sprinkle with tarragon.
Vegetables Beginning to Cook 
Wine Added 
Broth Mixture Added
Cooked Sauce
Divide the chicken and sauce among 4 plates and serve right away.

Pan Chicken with White Wine Sauce Mirepoix

8 comments:

  1. Pamela I love pan seared chicken and really like how you used white wine with this recipe :) I'm sure it taste as good as it looks!

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  2. Thanks so much, Jerry. Yes, this is one of those simple little dishes with flavor that's a lot bigger than the process! (And wine makes everything better... :)

    Best,
    Pam

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  3. Would it be crazy to add mushroom to this? I'm going to attempt it tonight, but my wife loves mushrooms with her chicken. Not sure if I should cook them a bit, then add them to the mirepoix, or if I should just cook another dish altogether.

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    Replies
    1. I think mushrooms would be great in it! Might want to cook them with the other vegetables before adding the broth mixture so that the liquid from the mushrooms will have time to be absorbed. Thanks for your comment --- hope it works out!

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    2. The mushrooms were a really great addition! I think the only thing I'd do differently next time with mushrooms is to add a tad more wine and cook the veggies a little longer. But I'd never tried something with mirepoix before and had no idea that those 3 veggies could smell like THAT while cooking. It was amazing. Thank you!!

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    3. Thanks so much -- glad you enjoyed it!

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