My Chicken's PRETTY name sans Jug Wine

Last Friday I posted a recent chicken dish I had done and asked for name suggestions. I got enough that I was able to name that dish!

One funny one I got was Manipesto (thanks Josh!) - I was temped to go with this, but I think it's a much more epic image than just a chicken breast with some pesto LOL. If this man (speaking of me) is going to do a manifesto with pesto it's gonna have to be something you'd never expect! Trust me, I have this name cataloged.

And then there was TGIF, winner winner, chicken dinner... sorry Jasmine; NOT. The other three suggestions from Ruth, Linda and Kathleen served to help me come up with a combined name that I really like. Now it's time for you to try it!

Pretty in Pesto, Patrick's Pan Roasted Chicken with "Shrooms

Pretty in Pesto - Patrick's Pan Roasted Chicken with 'Shrooms
 Recipe, and Wine Pairing after the jump...

• 4 Large skinless chicken breasts - dusted with salt and pepper
• Vegetable oil for searing chicken
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms per serving
• White wine for deglazing pan, sauteing mushrooms and finishing chicken
• Olive Oil - for sauteing mushrooms and broccolini
• 1 Tablespoon mixed Italian herbs - sprinkle on mushrooms when sauteing
• Salt and Pepper
• 20 spears broccolini, blanched and reserved for plating
• 20 grape tomatoes, sliced in half and reserved for plating
• 1 cup pesto - available at most grocery stores, or make your own.
• 1 cup (per serving) fresh grated Asiago cheese

Method: Heat large skillet over medium/high heat. When heated add enough vegetable oil to coat the pan. Add chicken breasts and sear (turn heat to medium after initial searing). Sear Chicken for about 3-5 minutes one each side, remove from pan and hold for final cooking. Once chicken is seared, add white wine to pan and deglaze, add mushrooms, with mixed herbs to deglazed pan and saute until soft and moisture had been released.

Sauteing Chicken and Mushrooms

Once mushrooms are cooked (adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed), add chicken back to pan along with enough wine to deglaze the pan again; turn heat to med/low and simmer chicken until done. While cooking chicken, allow the pan to begin to dry up so the pan juices concentrate and darken/season the chicken; add more wine if needed - watch this --- chicken can easily overcook and get dry. If you use a cooking thermometer chicken is ready to pull off at about 160 - 165F.


Plating: Arrange five brocolinni spears on the bottom of each plate. Scatter tomato halves in and around the brocolinni. Place chicken breast on top, and spoon mushrooms over and around the plate. Drizzle pesto on top of chicken breast, and finish by sprinkling grated Asiago over plate.

Wine Pairing: Chablis!

Pretty In Pesto Pan Roasted Chicken and Chablis

Most American wine drinkers used to see Chablis' sold as a big cheap jug wine! True Chablis is NOTHING like this! A Chablis is the French version of Chardonnay. I served a French Chablis with this because I wanted a wine that had a little more weight, and yet wouldn't compete with the savory flavors of this dish. Chablis are generally more minerally and steely then their American counterparts; they are less fruit driven, are mostly made in stainless steel, but sometimes have just enough neutral oak to soften their mouth feel.

Chablis loves roasted and braised fowl and game birds. If you haven't tried a Chablis lately, you're missing out on a wonderful wine. If you do try one and have larger wine glasses with round bowls, use them for this wine. The minerals and steeliness of a good Chablis have better expression with more room to breath in the glass. However, regardless of what kind of wine glasses you have, this wine is worth including in your wine drinking list.