Champagne Chicken
Serves 2 - 4

Champagne chicken is a rich entrée dish ready to delight loved ones everywhere! A simple flour and egg coating on the chicken creates a thin, golden crust while keeping the chicken tender and juicy. The sauce features the lusty flavors of shallot, champagne, cream, and just a hint of tarragon that all blends perfectly with the crispy chicken and sautéed mushrooms. An easy dish to master, it is perfect for a special occasion dinner date!

Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, cut in half,
    or 4 thinly-cut chicken breast cutlets
1 egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 tablespoons butter, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons shallots, finely minced
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup champagne
1/2 teaspoon minced tarragon
1 cup heavy cream
8 oz small brown mushrooms, halved and sauteed
Minced chives, for garnish

Directions:
1. If you are using whole chicken breasts, butterfly them by cutting in half. Pat dry. (Or skip this step and buy thinly cut breasts sometimes called "cutlets.")

2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg with 2 tablespoons of water to make an egg wash. Pour the egg wash into a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, mix the flour, salt, and pepper. Dip both sides of each chicken breast piece in the egg wash, then dredge in the flour mixture until lightly coated.

3. Heat a large stainless sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Allow the butter to melt and heat.

4. Place the coated chicken breasts in the hot skillet. Allow the chicken to cook on the first side until golden brown. Turn, and cook the second side until also golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. We recommend checking the temperature of the chicken as it cooks to avoid overcooking and drying out. Once the interior of the breast reaches 160 degrees F, remove the chicken from the heat.

5. Place the cooked chicken on a heat-tolerant plate, and place in a 200°F oven to keep warm while the sauce is made.

6. In the same sauté pan, sauté the mushrooms in two tablespoons butter until evenly cooked; remove from the pan. [Tip: Keep enough space between each mushroom half to allow a nice browning on all surfaces of the mushroom instead of a steaming effect.]

7. Using the same pan, prepare the champagne and cream pan sauce. Sauté the minced shallots for 1 minute. Add additional butter for sautéing, if needed.

8. Deglaze the pan by adding the chicken stock, and champagne to the skillet. Stir and scrape up the browned bits (fond). Reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the juices to reduce by half.

9. Whisk in the whipping cream, and add the minced tarragon. Season the sauce to taste with Kosher salt and pepper.

10. Plate the warm chicken breasts and ladle the sauce on top. Garnish with the sautéed mushrooms and minced chives.