Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Chicken and Dredge
- 400 g boneless skinless chicken breasts, pounded to even half-inch thickness
- 30 g all-purpose flour, sifted
- 5 g fine sea salt
- 2 g black pepper, freshly ground
Pan Sear and Cream Sauce
- 15 ml olive oil
- 30 g unsalted butter, divided into two portions
- 40 g shallot, finely minced
- 10 g garlic, minced
- 120 ml chicken stock, warm
- 120 ml heavy cream
- 5 g fresh parsley, chopped
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 838 kcal
- Protein
- 49 g
- Carbohydrates
- 20 g
- Fat
- 61 g
- Fiber
- 1 g
- Sugar
- 4 g
- Sodium
- 1318 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 28 g
- Trans Fat
- 1 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 22 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 6 g
- Cholesterol
- 228 mg
- Potassium
- 694 mg
- Calcium
- 94 mg
- Iron
- 2.5 mg
- Magnesium
- 69 mg
- Phosphorus
- 441 mg
- Zinc
- 2.1 mg
- Vitamin A
- 409 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 7 mg
- Vitamin D
- 1.8 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 2.6 mg
- Vitamin K
- 50 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 1.2 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.8 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.17 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.32 mg
- Niacin
- 20.2 mg
- Folate
- 26 mcg
- Water
- 199 g
Sources: Aggregated Public Data, USDA FoodData Central
Method
Pat the chicken breasts completely dry with paper towels. Season evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the chicken, shaking off any excess. Wash hands thoroughly after handling raw poultry to avoid cross-contamination.
Heat a stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and half of the butter (15g). Once the butter foams and subsides, carefully lay the chicken in the pan. Sear undisturbed for 4 to 5 minutes until a deep golden crust forms. Flip and cook for another 4 to 5 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 74 degrees Celsius (165 degrees Fahrenheit). Transfer chicken to a clean plate and loosely tent with foil to rest.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 15g of butter to the skillet. Stir in the minced shallots and cook until softened and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to let it brown.
Pour in the chicken stock to deglaze the pan. Use a whisk or wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned bits (fond) from the bottom of the skillet. Increase the heat slightly and allow the liquid to reduce by half, which concentrates the flavor.
Lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Allow the sauce to bubble gently for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens slightly and can coat the back of a spoon. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary.
Return the resting chicken breasts to the skillet, along with any accumulated juices on the plate. Spoon the warm cream sauce over the chicken to coat completely. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Chef's Notes
- Pounding the chicken to an even thickness is non-negotiable for pan-frying. It ensures the thickest part cooks completely before the thin tail-end dries out.
- The brown bits stuck to the pan after searing the chicken are called the fond. This is pure caramelized flavor. Take your time scraping every bit of it up when deglazing.
- If your skillet gets too dark or starts to smoke while searing the chicken, immediately lower the heat and add a splash of oil to cool the pan down. Burnt fond will result in a bitter cream sauce.
- A stainless steel skillet is vastly superior to non-stick for this recipe because it actively promotes the formation of fond, which is the foundation of the cream sauce.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. The sauce will thicken significantly when cold.
Reheating: Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat. Add a splash of water or broth to help re-emulsify the sauce if it appears broken.
Troubleshooting
Sauce is broken, oily, or grainy
Cause: The cream was boiled too vigorously, or a low-fat dairy product was used.
Fix: Remove from heat immediately. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of cold water or a tiny splash of cold heavy cream vigorously to re-emulsify the fats.
Prevention: Always use heavy cream (minimum 35 percent fat) and maintain a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil.
Chicken is dry and tough
Cause: The chicken was overcooked past the safe internal temperature, or pieces were unevenly sized.
Fix: Cannot be chemically reversed. Slice thinly and toss thoroughly in the rich cream sauce to mask the dry texture.
Prevention: Pound the chicken breasts to an even thickness before cooking and use a meat thermometer to pull them off the heat precisely at 74 degrees Celsius.
Flour coating fell off in the pan
Cause: The chicken was wet before dredging, the pan wasn't hot enough, or the meat was moved too soon.
Fix: Cannot be fixed, but the loose browned flour bits in the pan will help thicken and flavor the final sauce.
Prevention: Thoroughly pat the chicken dry before dredging and allow a proper crust to form undisturbed before attempting to flip.
Cultural Context
This technique of searing poultry and building a pan sauce from the drippings, aromatics, and cream is a hallmark of classic French bistrot cookery. Often referred to as Poulet a la Creme or Chicken Supreme, it transforms everyday ingredients into a luxurious meal through the careful application of fundamental culinary techniques like deglazing and emulsion.
