Ginger Cream Chicken
Yield: 4-8 servings
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Tips: Crystallized ginger adds a subtle element of sweetness to this dish, and is entirely optional, depending on your personal taste.
Suggestion: Delicious served with a side of rice and a vegetable side.
This Ginger Cream Chicken recipe introduces a unique flavor twist to chicken. To begin this quick and easy chicken dish, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are pounded down to a 1/4-inch thickness. This helps to tenderize the breasts as well as helps to reduce their cooking time. The breasts are coated with a flour mixture seasoned with ground ginger, salt and pepper, then sauteed for about 3 minutes per side. Diced green onions are added to the pan during this
process, allowing them to become tender. Once the chicken breasts are moved to a plate to keep warm, the creamy ginger sauce is quickly created, beginning with a roux that briefly cooks with the onions. The liquid ingredients are then added to the roux (wine, light cream and chicken broth) and the sauce is cooked until it thickens (about 5-10 minutes). Just before serving, you can add some crystallized ginger to the sauce (completely optional) for a subtle element of sweetness. Some minced crystallized ginger can also be sprinkled over the top of this dish once the sauce has been poured over the chicken breasts (as shown in the above photo), which again, is optional. If you're curious, don't be afraid to taste a tiny piece of crystallized ginger if you have some handy - this will help you decide whether or not you'd like to use it in this dish. When it comes to deciding which wine to use for this dish, Madeira(a fortified Portuguese wine made in the Madeira Islands) works very well, though you can substitute any dry port, sherry or Marsala wine if you wish.
Recipe▼
Ingredients
- 4 bonless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 6 tablespoons butter
- 2 green onions, minced
- 3 tablespoons flour (may use any left-over flour in plastic bag used to coat chicken)
- 3/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup Madeira or other wine (see recipe description above)
- 3/4 cup light cream (such as 1/2 & 1/2)
- 4 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger (optional)
Directions
Place chicken breasts between two sheets of waxed paper and gently pound down to a 1/4--inch thickness. Combine flour, ginger, salt and pepper in a plastic bag. Add breasts and coat well, gently shaking off any excess.
Heat butter in a skillet and saute one side of chicken breasts until golden over medium-high heat (about 2-3 minutes). Turn chicken pieces over and add onions in between chicken pieces directly on skillet. Once fully cooked, transfer chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Add the 3 tablespoons flour to skillet and stir constantly over low heat for about 3 minutes. Blend in chicken broth, Madeira (or other wine) and cream, and stir until thickened enough to coat a spoon. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the crystallized ginger (if desired). Pour sauce over chicken breasts and garnish with remaining crystallized ginger (if desired).
Heat butter in a skillet and saute one side of chicken breasts until golden over medium-high heat (about 2-3 minutes). Turn chicken pieces over and add onions in between chicken pieces directly on skillet. Once fully cooked, transfer chicken to a plate and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.
Add the 3 tablespoons flour to skillet and stir constantly over low heat for about 3 minutes. Blend in chicken broth, Madeira (or other wine) and cream, and stir until thickened enough to coat a spoon. Mix in 2 tablespoons of the crystallized ginger (if desired). Pour sauce over chicken breasts and garnish with remaining crystallized ginger (if desired).
