We're always looking for a new and interesting way to include mushrooms in our lives, and Martha Stewart's Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Casserole caught our attention the other day. Why? It employs hearty multi-grain bread as a vehicle to absorb the flavors of chicken breasts, leek, pan juices, and cremini - interesting and delicious, and just perfect for dinner on a rainy April night.
Will the wintery rains ever stop? Will summer ever come? Sometimes I have my doubts. However, there is no doubt in my mind that this lovely casserole will drive away any thoughts you may have about the weather.
Oh, you may be asking: What are cremini mushrooms? They go under various names - baby bella, Roman, golden Italian, and brown-capped mushrooms. No matter what they are called, cremini are a small, cultivated mushroom of a darker color and richer flavor than the common white button mushroom. According to Cuisine at Home Magazine, they are harvested 40 days after cultivation. If they were allowed to grow 45 days, they would become the now familiar, large-capped portobello mushroom.
This astonishing photo by Taylor Lockwood
arrived via e-mail today!
1 1/3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 2 large
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, coarsely chopped and rinsed well
1 celery stalk, cut into 1/2 inch dice
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, halved if large
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 tablespoon dry sherry
2 1/4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
3/4 cup whole milk
1 dried bay leaf
8 slices multi-grain bread, crusts removed, sliced cut into triangles
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, 1 ounce
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in medium saute pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken, and cook until golden brown on 1 side, 3-4 minutes. Flip, reduce heat to medium, and cook until cooked through, about 10 minutes more. Transfer to a plate, and return pan, with drippings to medium heat.
- Heat remaining 3 tablespoons oil in pan. Add leek, celery, mushrooms, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 8-10 minutes. Stir in flour, and cook stirring often, for 2 minutes. Add sherry, stock, milk, and bay leaf, and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard bay leaf.
- Arrange bread on bottom of a 2 quart oval baking dish, overlapping slices slightly. Spoon half of the vegetables and sauce over the bread. Slice chicken crosswise, 1/2 inch thick, and arrange on bread. Top with any accumulated juice from chicken. Spread remaining vegetables and sauce over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and Parmesan, and bake until golden brown, and bubbling, 25-30 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes before serving.