GRILLED CHICKEN WITH WHITE MUSHROOM SAUCE
4 cups water
1 lemon, quartered and juiced
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup kosher salt
4 (6-ounce) boneless chicken breasts with skin
4 drops liquid smoke
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
8 sage leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
In a large bowl mix together water, lemon juice, sugar and salt until dissolved. Add lemon quarters and chicken. Marinate for 30 minutes. Remove from marinade and pat dry. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Massage 1 drop of liquid smoke into each chicken breast. Salt and pepper generously then rub 1 tablespoon butter over and under skin of each chicken breast, placing 2 sage leaves underneath the skin. Place on hot grill, skin side down, until skin is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven to 425 degrees ,until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
For White Wine Mushroom Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 sweet onion, chopped
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 cup semidry white wine
Meanwhile for the white wine mushroom sauce:
In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter with olive oil. Add onions, mushrooms and cayenne pepper. Saute until onions are translucent and mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Add wine and reduce until it’s almost evaporated. Add chicken stock and simmer until reduced by one third. In a small bowl press together remaining butter and flour with fingertips until well blended, then slowly add to the sauce while stirring with a wooden spoon. Simmer until sauce resembles loose gravy, about 5 minutes. Serve warm with the chicken.
Wine paring for this dish
Chianti Castaldo from Carpineto, a smooth, medium-bodied and very approachable red wine.
Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson
