Chicken Scaloppine in a Saffron Cream Sauce

Chicken Scaloppine

in a Saffron Cream Sauce

This recipe helped me and my roommates make a dinner for thirteen hungry college kids without having to spend the entire night in the kitchen.  Chicken is one of the easiest and quickest proteins to cook and with the saffron cream sauce it won't dry out on you.  The original recipe is by Giada De Laurentiis but I made a few minor changes of my own, namely, adding much more garlic.  The golden brown chicken breasts are the ideal base for the cream sauce which is a delicate yet full flavored way to liven up any chicken dish! Plus, it was a perfect way for me to use some of my Turkish saffron that a friend brought me back from Istanbul.

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 shallots, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

1/2 teaspoon saffron threads

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

chopped flat leaf parsley for garnish

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken breasts generously with salt and pepper on both sides. Cook the chicken until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Turn down the heat to medium, add the shallots and the garlic and cook until tender.  At this point your kitchen should be smelling incredible.

Now pour the white wine into the skillet and deglaze the pan using a wooden spoon. Deglazing is to scrape all of the brown bits from the bottom of the pan in order to further flavor the sauce. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated.

Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer and reduce for 10 minutes. Add the cream, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and simmer for about a minute more. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley. Enjoy!