Date Night Chicken Dinner with Roasted Asparagus and Shallots
Get out a table cloth, good wine glasses and candles
1 bunch of asparagus, rinsed and woody ends discarded
2 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
Sel Gris gros, (coarse gray sea salt) to taste
Fresh cracked black pepper
About 10 whole peeled shallots
1 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
Sel Gris gros, kosher, or sea salt
2 boneless skinless Rocky or Rosie Organic chicken breasts
2 Tbs. Extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. Clover Organic Butter
About a dozen cremini or button mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and sliced thickly
2 shallots thinly sliced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Clover heavy cream
1 Tbs grainy Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper
About 50-60 minutes before dinner. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place shallots in a small ceramic baking dish, toss with olive oil, sprinkle with coarse salt. Bake until browned and softened, 35-40 minutes.
Meanwhile, toss asparagus in olive oil place on a rimmed sheet, sprinkle with coarse salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add the asparagus to the oven when the shallots have been in about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper, heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high, add olive oil, cook chicken breasts about 7-9 minutes per side. Remove to a heated platter when cooked through, cover with foil while making the sauce.
In the same pan, add the butter and sauté the sliced mushrooms, about 5 minutes. Add the thin sliced shallots and cook an additional 2 minutes. When shallots are translucent add the white wine to deglaze the pan, scrape up browned bits, then add the Dijon mustard and the heavy cream. Simmer and stir until the sauce is thick and creamy and reduced by about half, about 3-5 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan to rewarm and coat with sauce.
Serve the chicken with the mushroom sauce over, along side the roasted asparagus and shallots. A rustic loaf of French or Italian country bread is a great vehicle to smear the roasted shallots on.
Try with a fresh crisp Rosé like Martin Rey Estate Grown Rose of Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley ($20.00) or Clif Family Rosé of Granache from Mendocino ($21.00)
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