Chicken Breasts with Herbs De Provence and Mushrooms

When Andrew and I went to France a few years ago, I bought a large bag of Herbs de Provence.  So here I was, back in the states, with this great bag of herbs and spices, and I had no idea what to do with it.  I scoured the web and found a few great recipes, but this was probably my favorite.  Extra special added bonus - it comes with a video!

For those who don't know, "Herbs De Provence is a mixture of dried herbs from the South of France, and usually includes Basil, Thyme, Savory, Rosemary, Tarragon, Lavender, Fennel, Marjoram and Chervil. You should be able to find it in the dried spice/herb section of any major grocery store."

One tip - I would try, as hard as you can, to try to find chicken breasts that are a reasonable size.  I know this is a next to impossible task since all the chicken breasts you find these days are pumped up to gargantuan sizes.  But one thing that struck me while watching the video is how neat and even the breasts looked and how easy they were to handle - not an easy task with today's typical chicken breast.

Chicken Breasts with Herbs De Provence and Mushrooms

Ingredients 

Boneless skinless chicken breast
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Herbs de Provence
Black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cups mushrooms, sliced or chopped into equal sizes
2 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp flour
2 cups chicken broth
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Directions

Rub garlic, herbs, pepper, and 1 tbsp olive oil on chicken.  Put in fridge for 2 hours, minimum.

Heat remaining olive oil and butter in large pan.  Sear the chicken (approx. 5 minutes per side).  Set aside.

Add mushrooms in pan, set to medium/medium high.  Add salt.  Saute mushrooms to caramelized.  Turn heat to medium.  Add flour.  Cook out flour until pan smells like cooked pie crust (at least 6 minutes).  Add chicken broth and balsamic.  Turn heat to high.  When simmering, turn down to low and add chicken.  Simmer chicken for about 5 minutes per side until cooked.

Remove chicken.  Adjust sauce as necessary (salt, pepper, etc.).  Serve sauce on chicken.  Top with some fresh herbs (optional).


Original link:
http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2007/05/chicken-breasts-with-herbs-de-provence.html