Brussels Sprouts Braised in Butter

I know, I know, brussels sprouts blahhhhh....but try these before you turn your nose up to this vegetable. Anything braised in butter is good! This recipe is from Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

-brussels sprouts

-water

-salt

-butter

-wax paper

Trim the base of each Brussels sprout with a small knife and pierce a cross in it for quick cooking. Remove any wilted or yellowish leaves. Drop the sprouts into a rapidly boiling pot of water 1 ½ tsp salt per quart, bring to boil for 6-8 minutes, drain.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and smear butter inside a casserole or baking dish. Arrange the sprouts heads up in the casserole dish; sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper, and with 2-4 tbls melted butter.

Take a round of lightly buttered waxed paper and lay it over the sprouts. Cover and heat on top of the stove until vegetables begin to sizzle, then place in middle level of oven and bake for 20 minutes or until tender.

Breast of Chicken with Duxelles Stuffing

I bought my first $50.00 app on my ipad the other day. The Professional Chef which is the Culinary Institute of America's textbook. I am very pleased with it and this is the first recipe I tried. Mouth watering delicious! I had no idea what duxelle was until I attempted this recipe. I have a feeling this app will be teaching me a lot.

4 boneless chicken supremes

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

2 lb duxelles stuffing (recipe follows)

5 oz all-purpose flour

6 fl oz egg wash (recipe follows)

12 oz dried bread crumbs

24 fl oz clarified butter or oil, or as needed

Trim the chicken supremes and remove the skin if desired. Butterfly each breast portion and pound between sheets of parchment paper or plastic wrap to even thickness.

Blot dry the chicken and season with salt and pepper. Spread each breast with a portion of the duxelles stuffing and roll the breast around the stuffing. Overlap the edges to form a seam.

Apply a standard breading: dredge the chicken in flour, dip in egg wash, and roll in bread crumbs.

Heat about 1/2in/1cm butter to about 350 degrees in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken to the butter, seam side down first, and pan fry until golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Turn once and finish pan frying on the second side until the chicken reaches an internal temp of 170 degrees, about 3 more minutes. Finish cooking in a 350 degrees oven once the crust is properly browned, if preferred.

Duxelles Stuffing:

6 oz minced shallot

2 oz butter

2 lb small dice mushrooms

1 tbsp salt

2 tsp ground black pepper

8 fl oz heavy cream that has been reduced by half

8 oz bread crumbs

1 tbsp chopped parsley

Sweat the shallots in the butter in a sautoir over medium-high heat until translucent, 2-3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté them until dry to create a duxelles. Season the duxelles with some of the salt and pepper.

Add the cream, breadcrumbs, and parsley and mix well. 

Egg Wash:

5 eggs

5 oz milk

Pinch salt

Combine using a wire whip.