Pan-fried Chicken with Ancho Chiles and Mushrooms

Pan-fried Chicken with Ancho Chiles and Mushrooms

The earthy, flavorful combination of dried ancho chiles and mushrooms makes this dish a welcome addition to your fall and winter menus. A rustic, full-bodied entree with many textures and tastes, it pairs nicely with a simple green vegetable and white or brown rice.

Serves 6

4 to 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 medium onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 to 4 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 pound oyster mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1/2 pound white mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 cup dry white wine
3 to 4 dried ancho chiles, wiped clean, stemmed, and seeded
2 1/2 cups chicken stock
Juice of 1 lime
6 boneless chicken breasts or legs and thighs, with skin
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Cilantro or Italian parsley leaves, roughly chopped, for garnish

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Sauté the onions with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and half of each of the mushrooms. Turn up the heat and cook the mushrooms, stirring frequently, until golden. Pour in the wine and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Meanwhile, place the ancho chiles over a burner and toast all over just until soft and the skin is slightly bubbly. Be careful not to burn. Roughly chop half the chiles and add to the pot, reserving the rest.

Add the chicken stock to the pot and boil about 12 minutes. Transfer to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Return the sauce to the stove and bring to a boil. Stir in the remaining butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, and remove from heat. (For a thinner, more rustic sauce you can eliminate this butter.) Stir in the lime juice, season with salt and pepper, and reserve.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Season the chicken breasts well with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over moderate heat for 5 minutes or until very hot. Pour in the olive oil and place the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Fry until the skin starts to brown and crisp, 5 to 10 minutes, and then turn and briefly sear the other side. Transfer chicken to a baking dish (set the pan aside) and bake until cooked through, about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, thinly slice the remaining toasted ancho chiles. Reheat the pan used to brown the chicken and sauté the remaining mushrooms over medium-high heat until the edges are brown. Then add the sliced anchos and stir and toss 1 to 2 minutes longer. Stir into the reserved sauce.

To serve, top browned chicken with sauce and garnish with chopped cilantro or parsley.