Roast Chicken Breast With Porcini Café Au Lait Recipe

Prep and sear

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter in an oven-safe skillet over medium-high heat until foaming. Add minced garlic and thyme, swirl for 10 seconds, then place chicken skin-side down. Sear without moving for 5-6 minutes until skin is golden-brown.

Finish in oven

Flip breasts so skin-side up and transfer the skillet to the preheated oven. Roast for 12-16 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part reads 68-70°C (155-158°F). Remove from oven and tent loosely with foil; rest 6-8 minutes (carryover will bring to safe temperature). Reserve pan juices for the sauce.

While the chicken roasts, place peeled and cut potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Add 1/2 tsp salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until fork-tender, about 12-15 minutes. Drain well and return to pot.

Mash potatoes with 2 tbs butter and 60 ml warm milk until smooth but still a little textured. Stir in chopped parsley and chives, taste and adjust with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Keep warm and cover until plating.

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add carrot batons and blanch 3 minutes, then add green beans and blanch both 2–3 more minutes until tender-crisp. Drain and immediately plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking; drain again.

In a skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tbs olive oil and 1 tbs butter. Add drained carrots and beans, toss to coat and warm through 1–2 minutes. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. Keep warm for plating.

Rehydrate dried porcini: place mushrooms in a small bowl and pour 120 ml hot water over them. Let sit 20 minutes. Strain, reserving liquid and coarsely chop mushrooms. Decant the liquid carefully through a fine sieve lined with a paper towel or coffee filter to remove grit; reserve.

In the same skillet used for searing chicken (remove excess fat leaving ~1 tbs), melt 1 tbs butter over medium heat. Add finely chopped shallot and 1 minced garlic clove; sweat until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.

Deglaze the skillet with 60 ml dry white wine, scraping up browned bits. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add chopped porcini, 150 ml chicken stock, and 30 ml of the reserved porcini soaking liquid (reserve remaining for another use). Simmer gently 6-8 minutes to concentrate flavors.

Lower heat and stir in 60 ml heavy cream. Simmer very gently 2-3 minutes until sauce coats the back of a spoon. Whisk in 5 g grated dark chocolate and 1 tsp soy sauce until melted and combined. Adjust seasoning with 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper. If sauce is too thin, simmer another minute; if too thick, thin with up to 1-2 tbs water or stock. Strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve for a smooth café-au-lait texture, pressing solids to extract flavor, then return to pan and keep warm.

Finish: stir in 1-2 tbs of the reserved chicken pan juices (from resting chicken) to tie the sauce to the chicken, taste and adjust seasoning. Keep warm until plating.

Slice rested chicken breasts diagonally into 3-4 slices each. Spoon a bed of herb mash onto each plate, arrange warm French beans and carrots alongside. Fan sliced chicken on top of the mash or beside it. Spoon 2-3 tbs of porcini café au lait sauce over the chicken and a little around the plate for presentation.

Garnish with a small sprinkle of chopped chives or parsley and serve immediately.