Brandied Chicken

With a butane-fired table-top cooker, this small, romantic dinner for two can be made right at the table.

Brandied Chicken.

While I prepared it on the kitchen stove, cooking it at the table would have made it even more “special.”

Brandied Chicken:

This recipe requires extra time 

for marination

To Prepare the Chicken:

1/4 boneless, skinless chicken breast per person  (yes, this is enough!)

Olive oil, as required 

Soy sauce, as required 

Generous grinding of black pepper 

Butter and oil, as required

Several hours before dinner, pound chicken to a thickness of about 3/8-inch between two clean plastic bags. 

Pound, pound, pound!

Rub each flattened piece of chicken with a little olive oil, soy sauce to taste, and a liberal grinding of black pepper. Cover and refrigerate several hours.

Marinate several hours.

Have ready at the dinner table: Your table-top cooker, a heavy, medium-sized skillet, some butter and oil for searing the quartered, flattened chicken breasts, and a small pitcher containing the pre-measured, combined ingredients for the sauce.

Prepare and array all ingredients.

To sear chicken, add a lump of butter and some cooking oil (I use canola) to very hot skillet over high heat. Sear two pieces of chicken at a time, so skillet remains hot. Once the chicken sears on both sides - this takes less than a minute per-side - transfer chicken to a dish and begin preparing sauce in the same skillet. 

Sear flattened, marinated chicken breasts ...

... Until golden.

Set aside.

To Prepare the Sauce:

2 tbsp. butter

1/4 cup diced onion 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1/2-to-3/4 c. sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup finely chopped parsley 

1 tbsp. cornstarch or tapioca starch

1 tbsp. Dijon-style mustard

1 c. chicken stock

1/8 tsp. Worcestershire sauce 

Juice of half a lemon (see Note) 

1/4 cup white wine 

2 tbsp. brandy

Melt butter in skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, garlic, and mushrooms, stirring just until mushrooms brown.

Sauté onion, garlic, and mushrooms.

Add parsley, stirring a few seconds longer before pouring in the contents of a small pitcher containing well-combined cornstarch or tapioca starch, mustard, and stock. Stir just until mixture comes to a boil. Add Worcestershire sauce and fresh lemon juice (see Note), stirring 30 seconds to allow flavors to blend.  

Stir in combined sauce ingredients.

Quickly stir in wine and brandy. Return chicken to skillet, turning each piece just until heated through and chicken is well-coated with sauce. 

Note: I buy cheesecloth “lemon covers” at my local cooking supply store. Boldly and dramatically poke a sharp fork into your covered lemon and give a hearty squeeze. The juice will flow out; the lemon pips won’t.