Sherry-Glazed Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, and Whole Wheat Penne in White Wine Yogurt Sauce

Jun

2 comments » | posted by odile | category:accidents, broccoli, chicken, pasta, sherry, white wine, yogurt

I’m putting this one in the accident category because the sister and I were not huge fans- we’re adding ‘white sauces’ to the list of ‘things Odile has trouble cooking’… but the boyfriend rather enjoyed it and H thought that it looked good (did not get to taste), so this may be another white-sauce-that-actually-worked-I-just-didn’t-think-so. Alas, we’ll most likely never know because as I did not like it, I’m not likely to try it again. :) You’ll have to give it a shot and let me know your thoughts!

I believe its taste may have been altered by the fact that I used a very sweet wine for the sauce (the boyfriend gave the sister a bottle of Muscat Canneli for her 21st and she opted to choose that night for its opening… it had a lovely flavour, but very, very sweet) whereas something a bit more dry might have been a better choice. Should you experiment with it and experience different results, please do let me know- it’d be nice to hear someone else’s thoughts on this one!

Sherry-Glazed Chicken, Steamed Broccoli, and Whole Wheat Penne in White Wine Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from Chicken in White Wine and Yogurt Sauce from Cooks.com (for the sauce)

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts, skinned, cleaned (no fat! preferably organic!)
1/2 cup dry dessert cream sherry
2 large stalks fresh broccoli
1/2 box whole wheat penne pasta
3 tblspn soy butter (1 for chicken, 2 for sauce)
3 tblspn AP organic flour
1 cup low-fat organic plain yogurt (I used Stonyfield- mom gave some to me :) )
1/4 cup white wine (I used Muscat Canneli)
Sea salt & freshly-cracked black pepper
Olive oil, for tossing pasta + pasta water

Process:

Boil water for pasta as directed on pasta box. Add a bit of soy butter or olive oil + salt to the water when putting it on the heat to avoid sticking. Cook as directed (I like it just slightly al dente), drain (but save about 1/3 cup pasta water for later), and place in a large bowl. Toss with a drizzle of olive oil and set aside with a warm towel on top to keep in the heat.
Rinse broccoli stalks, then cut into small chunks and place on a plate. Take a very damp paper towel, place on top of the place so it is fully covered (no problem if it’s hanging off the sides!) and place in microwave for 2-3 minutes, until the broccoli turns very bright green. Leave outside with the paper towel on for an additional minute, then discard the towel and toss the broccoli in with the pasta.
Place 1 tblspn soy butter in a small sautee pan with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Once it begins to bubble, put in the chicken breasts and sear on all sides, until a nice brown colour emerges. Then add in the sherry and let sit, keeping the chicken on medium heat and turning it over every 2-3 minutes to even the glaze. It should begin to caramelize and bubble. Once the chicken is fully cooked (press down on it gently with your tongs to check. If there’s any squishyness or give, it’s not done; if it feels firm, take it off the heat!) and place on a cutting board. Keep reducing the sauce until it’s a thick, bubbling glaze, and pour slowly over the chicken. Let sit for a minute or two so it can absorb the glaze. Then, cut the chicken into 3/4-inch cubes and add to pasta and toss.
For the sauce, melt the remaining 2 tblspns of soy butter in another pan (a larger saucier this time). Once it begins to bubble a bit, add the flour, and slowly mix it, then add the broth in a slow and steady stream, and continue to mix all the while pouring. Then add the yogurt, wine, salt, and pepper, turn off the heat, and stir until it’s a thick, smooth sauce. Pour onto the pasta and toss lightly so that everything is evenly coated. Serve with fresh herbs on top for garnish, and keep that pasta water handy in case the sauce continues to thicken while on the pasta.

And there you have it! Give it a go and let me know how it works out for you- I’m sure you’ll do a better job of it than I did :). And as for the chicken, there’s no specific need for the glaze (especially if you go with a more dry wine, you could match it with something less sweet on the chicken) but it’s a bit of a tradition at my house. And you can switch around the broccoli for some other vegetable, switch the chicken for another meat… really, a rather fluid dish. Oh, and mushrooms are a classic with this one, but mushrooms scare me, hence their absence… feel free to add them back in for your variations!