Chicken with Creamy Mushroom-Leek Ragout

Ingredients

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
½ pound brown (cremini) mushrooms, gently cleaned with a damp paper towel
1 large leek, sliced into ⅛ inch rounds, white and pale green parts only
1/4 cup white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream or half and half

Directions

Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. If you’d prefer a thinner cut, you can either pound the chicken to desired thickness, or cut them in horizontally into thinner cutlets.

Heat a large skillet to medium high heat. Add ½ tablespoon of butter and ½ tablespoon of the olive oil until the butter is melted then add chicken breasts to the pan. (Depending on the size of your pan, and whether you have 2 or 4 pieces, you may need to work in batches) Cook undisturbed until you can see that the chicken is cooking through on the one side. Use tongs to flip the chicken over once it is nicely browned and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes or until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 160 degrees F. Transfer to a plate and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm and rest.

Wipe out the pan again and over medium heat, and melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the mushrooms and leeks to the pan with a pinch of kosher salt. Cook while stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are softened and the leeks are becoming limp.

Add the wine and continue to cook for 2 minutes. Add the cream or half and half, raise the heat to medium high and cook for 5 minutes or until the cream coats the back of a spoon and has slightly reduced. Stir in the last tablespoon of butter to add a bit of gloss and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Add the chicken breasts back to the pan and top with the sauce, or transfer to serving plates and spoon sauce over them then. Serve with the grain or starch of your choice.