Sauteed Chicken Cutlets with Vermouth, Leek, and Tarragon Pan Sauce
By America's Test KitchenPublished on October 18, 2011
Time
50 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), tenderloins removed, trimmed of excess fat, halved horizontally, and pounded ¼-inch thick (see note above)Salt and ground black pepper 4 teaspoons vegetable oilSauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil 1 medium leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces, washed and dried (about 1 cup)1 teaspoon all-purpose flour ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth ½ cup dry vermouth or white wine1 teaspoon whole grain mustard 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter Salt and ground black pepperBefore You Begin
The chicken breasts will be easier to slice in half if you freeze them for 15 minutes. To slice in half, place one hand on top of the breast to secure it, hold a chef's knife parallel to the cutting board, and slice through the middle of the breast horizontally.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Season both sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place 4 cutlets in skillet and cook without moving them until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and continue to cook until second sides are opaque, 15 to 20 seconds. Transfer to large ovensafe plate. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to now-empty skillet and repeat to cook remaining cutlets. Cover plate loosely with foil and transfer to oven to keep warm while making pan sauce.
- Add oil to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring often, until softened and browned around edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add broth and vermouth, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Simmer rapidly until reduced to 3/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices; return to simmer and cook 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in mustard, tarragon, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.
for the chicken
for the sauce
Time
50 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), tenderloins removed, trimmed of excess fat, halved horizontally, and pounded ¼-inch thick (see note above)
Salt and ground black pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces, washed and dried (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry vermouth or white wine
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Salt and ground black pepper
Ingredients
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), tenderloins removed, trimmed of excess fat, halved horizontally, and pounded ¼-inch thick (see note above)
Salt and ground black pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces, washed and dried (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry vermouth or white wine
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Salt and ground black pepper
Ingredients
Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (6 to 8 ounces each), tenderloins removed, trimmed of excess fat, halved horizontally, and pounded ¼-inch thick (see note above)
Salt and ground black pepper
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium leek, white part only, halved lengthwise, sliced into ¼-inch thick pieces, washed and dried (about 1 cup)
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
½ cup dry vermouth or white wine
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
Salt and ground black pepper
Why This Recipe Works
To create a low-fat version of classic French chicken pan sauces, we added a teaspoon of flour to the aromatics as a thickener, which allowed us to cut back on butter. For a final blast of flavor, we added an acidic ingredient to our chicken cutlet pan sauce recipe.
Before You Begin
The chicken breasts will be easier to slice in half if you freeze them for 15 minutes. To slice in half, place one hand on top of the breast to secure it, hold a chef's knife parallel to the cutting board, and slice through the middle of the breast horizontally.
Instructions
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Season both sides of each cutlet with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until smoking. Place 4 cutlets in skillet and cook without moving them until browned, about 2 minutes. Flip cutlets and continue to cook until second sides are opaque, 15 to 20 seconds. Transfer to large ovensafe plate. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to now-empty skillet and repeat to cook remaining cutlets. Cover plate loosely with foil and transfer to oven to keep warm while making pan sauce.
- Add oil to empty skillet used to cook chicken and return pan to medium heat. Add leek and cook, stirring often, until softened and browned around edges, 2 to 3 minutes. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add broth and vermouth, increase heat to medium-high, and bring to simmer, scraping pan bottom to loosen browned bits. Simmer rapidly until reduced to 3/4 cup, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in any accumulated chicken juices; return to simmer and cook 30 seconds. Off heat, whisk in mustard, tarragon, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Spoon over cutlets and serve immediately.
for the chicken
for the sauce
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