FoodPoint

2.06 Chicken Scaloppine – Intermediate – Meat & Poultry

I have used the dish's traditional spelling (you will also see it as scallopine, scallopini, etc.), however I’m not sure how traditional this is. Please keep in mind that I never claimed to be a food purist. Although I’m half-Italian, I was never really taught how to cook authentically or made privy to any secret family recipes. I just make it up as I go along!

Maybe we should refer to this as the ‘half-traditional’ version? Or, if you simply cannot bear to even associate it with the name Scaloppine, just call it ‘Chicken Fillets w/ Creamy Mushroom & White Wine Sauce’. Spoilsport!

Ingredients:

3 large chicken breast fillets

300g mushrooms, sliced

100ml dry white wine

2 cups thickened or double cream

1 cup plain white flour

6 sprigs fresh thyme

Olive oil (for frying)

Salt and pepper

This recipe was used as part of a dinner party I held in which each part of the meal highlighted a particular herb (this one was thyme). If you can’t get fresh thyme, then just use a generous tablespoon of dried thyme. Alternatively, you can also use lemon thyme.

I use Swiss Brown mushrooms for this, but you could use field mushrooms, portabella or button mushrooms instead.

Use whatever dry white wine you have around. Just make sure it isn’t chilled as you’ll be pouring it into a hot pan and that never ends well!

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour with a couple of pinches of salt and pepper.

2. Slice the chicken fillets in half lengthways. (Try to keep them as even as possible. If you can get a butcher who will do this for you, or find a place that already sells them like this, then that would be just fine.)

3. With a meat mallet, flatten each piece of chicken until it is roughly ½ cm (or 1/5 inch) thick. (TIP: If you’ve never done this before, try not to hit it too hard, and start at the thickest point.)

4. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour and place aside until ready to cook.

5. Pour some oil into a large pan and place on a high heat.

6. Fry the chicken for approx. 1 minute on each side, then remove from the pan and place aside. (This is just to seal it, the chicken will cook fully in the sauce later.)

7. Reduce heat to medium-high and add mushrooms to the hot pan (add extra oil if necessary). Fry until browned and most of the liquid has evaporated. (Don’t get too freaked out by any flour stuck to the bottom of the pan, this will both add flavour and help the sauce to thicken.)

8.  Add the white wine and allow to bubble away for at least a minute. (This should deglaze the pan.)

9. Add the cream and thyme and reduce to a low heat.

10. Return the chicken to the pan and loosely cover with foil. (If you want to be fancy and make a cartouche out of baking paper, that is totally up to you. I have been known to do this quite often!)

11. Simmer covered for 20-25 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to sit for 5-10 minutes. (The sauce will thicken more as it cools.)

12. Serve with rice, mashed potatoes, or polenta, and something green.

Serves 3-6, depending on how generous you are with the chicken.

A video of this recipe is also available - https://youtu.be/BjlYJoqdKGw.