Mushrooms are kind of my worst enemy.
I don’t like the texture, I don’t much like the taste…mushrooms (along with their just-as-evil counterpart, olives) are, I suspect, what Satan himself would serve if he had a dinner party, probably with some form of beet juice.
Anyway, a couple of years ago, my friend Andrea prepared some mushrooms that I ate and actually enjoyed, and now I’ve come to the conclusion that the only time mushrooms are OK is when they’re soaked in so much butter and wine, they can barely count as a mushroom anymore.
Such is the case with these.
This recipe, pinned to my Pinterest board dedicated to chicken, comes from the Pinch of Yum blog. As per usual, I made my own changes to it, the main one being I didn’t use Marsala wine at all, despite this being a recipe for Chicken Marsala. I did my shopping at Trader Joe’s, and couldn’t put my hands on a bottle of Marsala, so I used Merlot instead.
It was phenomenal.
I also added spinach and did not include parsley.
This one is pretty easy to pull off, but looks (and tastes!) super impressive.
Chicken Merlot
Serves 3-5, depending on how much chicken you use
Adapted from Drunken Chicken Marsala by Pinch of Yum
Ingredients
16 oz. sliced crimini mushrooms
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup Merlot
1 tsp. cornstarch dissolved into 1 Tbsp. cold water
2 Tbsp. heavy cream
1 1/2 – 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts (or tenders, like I like to use)
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/3 cup flour
2 tsp. Trader Joe’s 21-Seasoning Salute or regular All-Purpose Seasoning
2 cups cherry tomatoes
3 cups spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat 1 Tbsp. of the butter in a large pan over medium heat and add the mushrooms. Saute for 8-10 minutes until golden brown.
It’s OK. They won’t bite.
Add the wine and the garlic to the mushrooms and let simmer to reduce the wine for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the cornstarch mixture, cream, and salt.
Mix the flour, seasoning, salt, and pepper in a bowl and toss the chicken in this mixture until coated. Shake off any excess.
Heat the rest of the butter (2 Tbsp.) and the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and cook the chicken for a few minutes on each side until cooked through.
Add the spinach to the wine mixture and let it wilt for a few minutes, mixing occasionally.
Add the sauce and mushrooms to the chicken skillet. Add the tomatoes and simmer until the tomatoes have softened.
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