I'm all for rich and creamy sauces. Sure, they don't make for the healthiest meal choice around but, hey, this isn't a health food blog! This is a home cooking blog. And sometimes at the end of a long day a rich and creamy meal sounds like a pretty darn fabulous idea.
You won't find a can of cream of mushroom soup in this stroganoff recipe. The sauce here is made with the real deal - sour cream.
There's a lot I like about this meal. There's the golden brown chicken, the tender mushrooms, the fragrant tarragon in each bite. Then there's the simple shallot. I love their pretty pink skins and mild onion flavour.
Stroganoff is traditionally made with thin slices of beef. I love beef. But by swapping in chicken I can save a little money and still put a tasty stroganoff on the table.
Here's how I made it:
1 lb chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
a couple splashes of vegetable oil for cooking
1/2 cup shallots, finely diced
1 lb cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 tsp dried tarragon
pinch nutmeg
1 cup sour cream
4 cups cooked broad noodles for serving
I started by heating a splash of oil in a large skillet over medium/high heat. When the oil was hot, I added my chicken pieces and cooked them until they were golden brown and beautiful. I transferred the chicken to a heat-proof bowl and set it aside.
Next, I lowered the heat of my skillet to medium and added another splash of vegetable oil. I added the shallots and mushrooms to the pan and stirred while they began to soften and brown. After a few minutes, I added about a tablespoon of water to the pan to help the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, then I allowed them to continue to cook down for another 10 minutes or so. In the last few minutes, the tarragon and nutmeg were stirred in.
To finish, I returned the chicken to the pan, turned off the heat, and stirred in the sour cream (turning off the heat ensures the sour cream doesn't get too hot and begin to separate). I like a thick sauce, but if you prefer a thinner sauce you can add some water at the end.
A bed of broad noodles made the perfect nest for our chicken stroganoff.
This is some goooood stuff! Quick and simple to make, and oh so deliciously rich and creamy!
What's your family's favourite rich and creamy meal? Does stroganoff end up on your dinner table?
