Chicken Thighs in a Mushroom Bechamel Sauce
Ingredients
4 Boneless and skinless chicken thighs
4-5 tbsp flour
6-7 tbsp butter
2 cups Milk
2 cups Sliced Mushrooms
¼ tsp Ground Cloves or
2 Whole
Recipe
Warm the milk and Cloves in a small pot over low heat. Be careful not to boil.
Pat chicken dry and season.
Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a skillet or sauce pan over med heat. Sear chicken both sides. Remove and set aside.
Melt another 2 tbsp of butter and add the mushrooms. Stir occasionally until mushrooms are browned. Remove and set aside.
Lower the heat and add 2 tbsp of butter. Once melted add 2 tbsp of flour while stirring. The roux should have the consistency of wet paint. If it is too dry add more butter. If it is too wet add more flour. Continue to stir until you can no longer smell flour.
While constantly stirring add a small splash of milk. Continue to stir until the the milk is combined into the roux. Repeat this until you have used all the milk. There should be no more lumps and the sauce should be like the consistency of the roux. Stir occasionally until the sauce becomes thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If the sauce gets too thick add a splash of milk (doesn’t have to be heated).
Return mushrooms and chicken to the pan. Allow everything to heat through and check for seasoning.
Pro tip: Avoid button mushrooms. They do not have much flavor. Use mushrooms such as oyster or shitake which can commonly be found in supermarkets.
Pro tip: This is a great place to add flavor. The traditional way to make bechamel is to use two cloves to pin a bay leaf to a quarter of an onion. Some ideas are bay leaves, peppercorns, or herbs.
Pro tip: When seasoning anything salt is a must the rest is up to you. This is a great use for Umami Powder. For this recipe think warm and savory.
Pro tip: Mushrooms contain a lot of moister. Moisture is the enemy of browning. When sauteing mushrooms you have to cook of the water before they can begin to brown. To help this process along add a pinch of salt.