Tastes Like Chicken ('n Mushrooms)

A gourmet challenged me to eat
A tiny bit of rattlesnake meat,
Remarking, "Don't look so horror-stricken,
You'll find it tastes a lot like chicken."

It did.

Now chicken I cannot eat.
Because it tastes like rattlesnake meat.
                         
                                                    -Ogden Nash

Mom's Music
My mom married into the Italian side of our family, but you would never know it.  A practical, and, in her words, "lusty" girl from Queens, she enjoyed preparing robust, simple foods that would delight any palette. 

This simplicity was partially out of necessity.  She was a mother of four faced nightly with the task of preparing a meal that would fill bellies and infuse our cheeks with that healthy childhood glow.  Most days, we children were busy playing in the woods behind our New Hampshire home, and when called in for dinner, would fill the dining room with our outdoor voices and stories of our day's discoveries, innocent of the work that had gone into that evening's fare. 

She, like many women of her day, made the task of executing a nutrient-rich meal on a budget, with whatever the market offered (and in summer our garden), as natural as the sunrise.  Our meals not only provided sustenance, but a stable platform for family to engage each other in riotous, heated debate and raucous laughter.  I have a heady memory of our dining room, which looked out on the backyard and the woods beyond, as though the energy we cultivated outside was naturally carried in with us, and spiraled into something spectacular, all around her conductor's wooden spoon.  That music stays with me still.

Behold the Casserole
I am a sucker for a casserole, having grown up amid some pretty harsh New England winters.  There is nothing like enjoying a hearty, one-pot meal steaming from the oven after coming in from the cold.  One of my favorites was Mushroom Chicken, not just for the flavor, but the aroma that filled our house during its preparation. 

To this day, I prefer to eat food that is screaming hot, and I think it derives from diving into meals like this after holding myself back from it for a couple of hours during its preparation.  It may also derive from being the youngest of four, and survival of the fittest, as you had to jump in and grab what you wanted before the other wolves claimed it.  Needless to say, I developed pretty quick reflexes.

Mom prepared her mushroom chicken the classic way of that day, with Campbell's Chicken and Mushroom soup.  True to my own day, this version is prepared with farm fresh mushrooms and organic, free range chicken.  Mom also used chicken on the bone.  To her, it was the only way to get a truly intense and rich flavor.  I agree, so I also prepare mine bone-in, skin on.  For a lighter version, the skin can be removed first.  You can also substitute any mushrooms to your liking.

Mushroom Chicken (Serves 4-6)

4 chicken breasts bone-in -or- chicken thighs (I use both in this recipe)
1 package shiitake mushrooms, chopped
1 package beech mushrooms, chopped
about 2 tblspns canola oil

1 med sweet onion, diced
1 lg or two med shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed

16 oz good organic chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
1/2 cup half and half
sprig thyme
salt, pepper, paprika to taste
lemon wedges

Remove chicken from fridge and season both sides well with salt, pepper and paprika.  Sit out for about a half hour to allow chicken to absorb seasoning (unless it's a hot summer day, then place in fridge after seasoning).

When chicken is done seasoning, place a large, deep skillet on med high to high heat and add about two tablespoons of canola oil.  Once pan is hot, add the chicken pieces two at a time and allow to brown, about three minutes each side.  Remove to plate.

Reduce heat to medium and add mushrooms.

Saute mushrooms until browned, adding a little oil if necessary.  Once mushrooms are browned (about ten minutes) remove them to a bowl.  

Over medium heat, add the diced onions and cook for two minutes.

Then add the shallots and garlic and cook for another minute or so, without browning.  Add the mushrooms back into the pan, then a half cup white wine, and simmer until reduced, about ten minutes.  Add the thyme and chicken broth and reduce almost half, about ten minutes over med-high heat.

Reduce heat to medium, stir in the half and half and add the chicken back in. 

Cover and cook over medium to medium low heat for about 20 minutes, or until the chicken feels slightly firm when pressed with a wooden spoon, or juices run clear.

One of the best things about cooking chicken this way is the moist heat, which makes it difficult to overcook, and even the breast turns out like this

You may serve the pieces whole or slice them up and serve.  In this case, I served the chicken with lemon wedges, short grain brown rice, and green beans with cashews.

Yummy.  Thanks Mama!