Chicken Breasts in Chutney Cream with Fragrant Rice

Chicken Breasts in Chutney Cream with Fragrant Rice

This is a recipe of my mothers that I have played with over the years. The first time I made it myself was on a road trip with an old friend to Northern California in 1988. We made up a recipe very close to this for a group of friends living in Santa Cruz.

Ingredients:

  • 3 whole chicken breasts, skinned, boned and split. (yields 6 individual chicken breasts)
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 6 tablespoons butter
  • 2 green onions including tops, finely chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
  • 3 tablespoons Chutnut or Major Grey’s chutney
  • 1/3 cup madeira
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth
  • 3/4 cup sour cream (whole fat)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
  • 2 Parsley sprigs
  • 3 tablespoon butter (for rice)
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon Madras curry powder
  • 1 cup long-grained rice
  • 1 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1 1/4 cup water

Preparation:

  1. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place each breast half between pieces of plastic wrap and pound with a mallet until about ¼ inch thick. Dust chicken pieces lightly with flour; shake off excess flour.
  2. In a 10 to 12 inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add chicken, a portion at a time, without crowding. Cook, turning until browned on both sides; 4 to 6 minutes. As chicken is cooked, lift from pan and arrange on a warm platter. Add more butter to pan as needed.
  3. After all chicken is cooked, add to pan, onions, fresh ginger, chutney, Madeira and broth. Boil over high heat, stirring until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add cream and boil, stirring until reduced to about 1¼ cup.
  4. Pour sauce over chicken and sprinkle with crystallized ginger.
  5. In a 10 to 12 inch skillet, melt 3 tablespoons butter over medium heat.
  6. Add 1 small onion, chopped. Cook, stirring, until onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
  7. Stir in 1 teaspoon curry powder and 1 cup long-grained rice. Cook, stirring until rice turns opaque, about 7 minutes.
  8. Add 1¼ cup chicken broth and 1¼ cup water. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat, cover and simmer until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.
  9. Spoon curried rice alongside chicken. Garnish with parsley. Serve with Curried Rice.