Creamy Swiss Chicken

 

There are quite a few recipes for Swiss Chicken on the internet it seems, but none quite like this delicious chicken recipe I am sharing with you today. 

 

Yes, it is a mushroom swiss chicken recipe, like the others, but that is where all similarities end.  This contains no cream soup, unlike many of the others. 

 

This Swiss Chicken is very easy to make and yet one of the most flavourful chicken dish ever!  Despite not being made with a tinned soup.

Instead you create a simple sauce, which is poured over top.  Read on and I will let you in on my secret for making the most delicious, moist and incredible chicken entrée for your family ever!

 

To be honest I am not really sure why this is called Swiss Chicken.  Yes, there is some Gruyere or Swiss cheese involved, but really that is the only thing Swiss about it!

Like I said, no cream of whatever soup. Instead there is a lush and creamy rich sauce which gilds those perfectly golden sautéed pieces of chicken breast meat. Flavoured only with cream and Tarragon and some seasoning.

 

Oh, and a tiny bit of Brandy.  You could also use white wine or dry sherry.  Am I the only one who has a collection of tiny bottles of liqueurs and spirits to use in cooking?  Small bottles of wine?  And I repeat they are only used for cooking.

I don't drink alcohol (for religious reasons) but I am not adverse to cooking with it. My ex Bishop's wife cooked with it all the time so if its okay for her, its okay for me.

 

You begin by gently pounding boneless, skinless chicken breasts until they are the same thickness throughout.  This is so that they will cook in like time. 

Once pounded, they are seasoned and lightly coated with flour before browning to perfection in some butter/olive oil.  Don't be shy. I like to put a nice golden crust on these!

 

Once browned, they are popped into a baking dish, ready to be topped with everything else.  You will need to brown some mushrooms and garlic in the pan drippings. Be very careful about the mushrooms you choose.

You don't want to choose a mushroom which will turn the pan juices grey and unappealing. I think a nice chestnut or white button mushroom works well here. I have a secret to perfectly browning mushrooms.

 

And that is to leave them completely alone for the five first minutes or so of cooking them. Don't be tempted to stir them, or agitate them in any way. Just leave them to sit and get all gilded brown in those lovely pan juices.

Patience is truly a virtue here. Once you see them starting to turn golden you can give them a little stir and then leave them again, for a little while longer. Your reward for your patience will be perfectly cooked and golden mushrooms, with lovely crisp edges.

 

Now is the time to stir in the cream and the tarragon.  Oh, and the brandy.  Just let it bubble up and then pour it over the golden pieces of chicken.  Make sure you get plenty of mushrooms on each slice.

And that's it.  Pop a slice of cheese over top and bake it in the oven until the sauce is bubbling, the chicken is cooked through and that lovely cheese has melted perfectly on top.

 

Nothing could really be easier.  And, if you follow my instructions implicitly, you end up with perfectly cooked, no hint of dryness, chicken breasts.

I love cooking with chicken breasts. They make a beautiful canvas on which to paint most flavours, but if improperly cooked (ie. over cooked) they can be dry and dull.

 

The trick is to not over do it. Once you have gilded them nice and golden brown, they really only need a short cook-time in the oven. 

 

I find that if I pop them into the oven while I am making that sauce, it is sufficient time in order for them to cook through thoroughly.

 

You will know they are cooked through when the juices run clear when you prick them with a fork. If there is any hint of pink at all, simply return them to the oven for a few more minutes.

Better safe than sorry! (And this comes from someone who has experienced food poisoning. Not nice, not wanting to experience it again. Never from chicken though. It was coleslaw.) So do make sure they are cooked through just to be safe.

 

This really is an incredibly simple to make and delicious supper option. It uses very few ingredients and goes together in a flash! 

Easy and delicious, it is sure to be something your family is going to love.  Be prepared for it to become an often requested supper entree! You have been warned!

 

Creamy Swiss Chicken

Yield: 4

Author: Marie Rayner

prep time: 10 Mincook time: 20 Mintotal time: 30 Min

Filled with lovely flavours. This is a very simple dish. Tender moist chicken topped with a creamy mushroom sauce and gruyere cheese.

Ingredients

• 4 (200g/7oz) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• salt, pepper and plain flour to dust
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBS butter
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed
• 1/2 pound (200g)mushrooms, sliced
• 1 TBS chopped fresh Tarragon (or 1/2 TBS dried)
• 1/2 cup (120ml) whipping cream
• 1 TBS brandy
• 4 large slices Gruyere or Swiss Cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 200*C/400*F/ gas mark 6. Have ready a baking tray.
2. Place your chicken between two pieces of plastic cling film and pound lightly until they are each about 1/2 inch thick. Season with salt and black pepper and dust lightly with flour.
3. Heat half of the olive oil and butter in a large skillet. Add the chicken breasts presentation sides down, and brown on one side for approximately 3 minutes until golden. Flip over and brown on the other side for a further 3 minutes.
4. Place onto the baking tray and pop into the oven while you make the sauce.
5. Add the remaining butter and oil to the pan drippings. Throw in the mushrooms and garlic and cook over medium heat until the mushrooms have softened.
6. Add the tarragon, cream and brandy. Stir over high heat for about 2 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.
7. Remove the chicken from the oven and spoon the hot sauce over top, dividing it equally amongst the four pieces.
8. Top each with a slice of cheese and pop back into the oven for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.

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Easy peasy this is. Actually it is beautiful dinner party fare, and would make a brilliant option for Valentine's Day Supper. It is quick and easy to make, and yet tastes like you have been slaving all day over it. I served with English petit pois and roasted potatoes. Yum. 

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