Jersey Love

Two of our closest friends, Mike and Jill, recently left Chicago for New Jersey, Jill's home state. They left us with not only empty hearts, but empty stomachs. Because aside from the occasional game of Rummy (when by the way, Jill plays dirtier than..well, someone from Jersey) all we ever did together was eat. And drink. But first we would eat.

Not since Jill and Mike moved have we:

- Spent 26 minutes (each) determining which dish to order from the menu
- Argued over seating positions at the table, relative to dishes ordered, to ensure seamless rotation of plates for tasting
- Spend half of our future house payment on dinner and honestly believed it was worth it. And still do.

Though I've never really experienced it because we were too busy bolstering Chicago's economy solely on dinner tabs, Jill's an outstanding cook. From time to time, she'll send me subtle hints to help save my marriage including a subscription to Fine Cooking. Most recently, it was an email about how much she "misses" me with a sneaky little recipe attached. Not surprisingly, the adjective she chose to describe it was "easy."

Thanks, Jersey. We'll cook it up one night, play a little unethical Rummy, and toast to old friends.

Jersey Jill's Easy Chicken Cutlets with Porcini Sauce

Serves 4
Ingredients:
¾ cup dried porcini mushrooms
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup plus 1 tsp unbleached flour
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (pounded thin)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable or olive oil
1 small shallot
¼ cup dry vermouth
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
½ teaspoon minced fresh thyme
½ teaspoon lemon juice (optional – I left this out)
Salt and pepper

Method:
1.Rinse porcini mushrooms in large bowl of cold water, agitating them with the hands to release dirt and sand. Allow dirt to settle to bottom of bowl, then lift mushrooms from water and transfer to microwave-safe 2 cup measuring cup. Add chicken broth, submerging the mushrooms beneath the surface of liquid. Microwave on high power 1 minute, until broth is steaming. Let stand 10 minutes. Using tongs, gently lift mushrooms out of broth and transfer to cutting board, reserving broth. Chop mushrooms into ¾ inch pieces and transfer to medium bowl. Strain broth through fine-mesh strainer lined with large coffee filter into bowl with chopped mushrooms.

2.Combine ¼ cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper in pie plate. Working one piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking gently to remove excess. Set aside on plate.

3.Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12 inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Lace 4 cutlets in skillet and cook without moving until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and continue to cook until second sides are opaque, about a minute.

4.Add remaining teaspoon oil to now empty skillet and return pan to medium heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 30 seconds. Add remaining teaspoon flour and cook, whisking constantly, 30 seconds. Increase heat to medium high and whisk in vermouth, soaked porcini and their liquid, tomato paste, soy sauce, and sugar. Simmer until reduced to 1 cup, 3-5 minutes.

5.Transfer cutlets and any accumulated juices to skillet. Place in oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes (or until done). Remove chicken from skillet (leave sauce in skillet)

6.Whisk butter, thyme, and lemon juice into sauce and season with salt and pepper. Spoon over chicken and serve.
The original recipe calls for the chicken to be cooked fully on the stove, but we thought this would dry it out, so we finished it in the oven and it was great!
Enjoy!
Jill