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Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Seared Chicken with Leeks and Mushrooms

This recipe for Chicken with leeks and Mushrooms is savory and lush and wonderful. Definitely something to make if you want to impress guests or in-laws.

Leeks look like a large green onions or scallions and in fact that is kinda' what they are. They are apart of the onion family along with garlic and chives. I have always wanted to cook with leeks but have never tried it. They were on sale this week, not that they are expensive, so I picked up two with no idea to do with them. I googled leek recipes and came across one that interested me so I tweaked it and here it is.

Yield: 6 servings

You'll Need:
2 lbs chicken thighs, skinned and deboned
1 carton of Baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
2 leeks, sliced (white and light green portion only)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp herbs de provence
Aldi country herb grinder*
Salt
Freshly ground pepper

*Aldi Grinder contains Sea Salt, Rosemary, Parsley, Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Mint, Sage

How To's:

Clean your leeks really well under running water. Mine had a lot of dirt inside the leaves so make sure to get in there with a low pressure stream of water and rinse them so they are free from all the gunk.  

Heat a large skillet on medium high heat and add your oil.

Season both sides of your chicken with a decent dusting of salt, pepper and the country herb grinder.

Carefully place the chicken in the skillet, making sure to not overcrowd the pan and let the chicken form a golden brown crust. It will take at least 7 minutes. Once browned, flip and repeat.

While the chicken is browning mince your garlic and slice your leeks and mushrooms. Slice your leek just as you would a green onion, but don't go all the way the stalk. Stop at the light green color before it transitions into dark. The dark leaves are edible they are just tougher and require longer cooking and I didn't have time for that.

Once both sides have been browned, remove the chicken from the skillet and pour off all but 1 tbsp of the fat. Place your leeks, garlic and mushrooms in the pan and cook until softened, stirring occasionally. If the pan becomes too dry you may add more oil, 1 tsp at a time. After about 8 minutes sprinkle the veggies with flour and stir for 1 minute. This will get rid of the raw flour taste and allow a sauce to form. 

Stir in your wine and chicken stock and boil for 2 minutes. Add your herbs de provence and nestle the removed chicken back into the skillet. Reduce the heat to simmer or medium low, cover and cook for another 15-25 minutes until chicken is extremely tender.

At this point if you are not avoiding carbs you should add rice. The sauce with this dish is so dern good I tried to rationalize how I could sneak rice into a late night meal. Of course I couldn't but once I reach my target weight I will be remaking this just so I can try it with rice. It's sooooo good.

This dish is delicate, savory, creamy and simple. It plates like something you'd get from a fancy restaurant and I think would be great to entertain with. I really encourage you to try it. 



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