Chicken Cutlets with Sherry Cream Sauce
Fast and easy doesn't have to be bland and boring. I made this up one night after our son's football practice.
Fast and easy doesn't have to be bland and boring. I made this up one night after our son's football practice.
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup all purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cloves garlic chopped
- 2 chicken breasts each cut in half lengthwise
- 1/4 cup roasted red pepper diced
- 1/4 cup sherry
- 1 tablespoon parsley fresh chopped
- 6 ounces pasta cooked according to instructions
- Carbohydrate 33.0567640693195 g
- Cholesterol 140.175227820564 mg
- Fat 17.6822639873861 g
- Fiber 0.601727919821268 g
- Protein 33.506390714528 g
- Saturated Fat 9.66602053722744 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (223g)
- Sodium 174.993595541904 mg
- Sugar 32.4550361494982 g
- Trans Fat 1.74071391782962 g
- Calories 447 calories
Step-by-step
- Season the chicken cutlets with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper.
- Season the flour with the rest of salt and pepper. Dredge the cutlets in the flour and knock off the excess.
- Pre-heat a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 Tbsp of butter and oil.
- Saute the cutlets for 3 minutes per side or until they reach an internal temp of 160 F. I had to do this in batches because I couldn''t get them all in one skillet.
- Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the roasted red pepper and cook for another minute.
- Deglaze the pan with sherry and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low and add the butter and parsley, stirring until the butter is melted. Turn off the heat and stir in the cream. Taste for seasoning and add more salt and pepper to taste.
- Divide the pasta, plate with the chicken and top with the sauce.
Operating under strict time limits requires cooking proteins thin enough to cook through rapidly without drying out the exterior. Slicing standard chicken breasts in half lengthwise creates uniform cutlets that reach a safe internal temperature of 160 degrees Fahrenheit in roughly three minutes per side. Overcrowding the pan lowers the surface temperature and prevents proper browning, so batches must be cooked separately in a blend of oil and butter. High heat provides the initial sear, while subsequent deglazing lifts the browned fond from the bottom of the skillet.
Dry sherry functions as the primary acid for deglazing, but vermouth or a dry white wine like Sauvignon Blanc can replace it at a one-to-one ratio without altering the reduction time. If heavy cream is unavailable, half-and-half creates a lighter sauce that requires more careful heat management to prevent curdling when combined with residual alcohol. Substituting shallots for chopped garlic introduces a milder allium profile that softens the sharpness of the sauce. Dried parsley can stand in for fresh herbs if used in smaller quantities, though fresh leaves provide a brighter visual contrast against the roasted red peppers.
Starch adjustments demand careful attention to liquid ratios when pairing the meat with alternate grains. Standard wheat pasta holds heavy pan sauces effectively due to its porous surface, whereas rice or polenta will absorb the liquid much faster and require thinning with a splash of warm chicken stock. Gluten-free flour blends work adequately for dredging the cutlets, but they brown faster than all-purpose flour and may require lowering the burner temperature slightly to prevent burning.
Leftovers containing dairy-based sauces require careful reheating to avoid separating the fats from the liquids. Storing the cooked chicken separately from the pasta and sauce in an airtight container for up to three days preserves the structural integrity of the cutlets. Gentle warming on the stovetop over low heat with an extra tablespoon of cream restores the smooth emulsion of the sauce before serving.
