We have three options here, including two vegan: local chicken but more heart healthy than my mom’s original, mushrooms replacing the chicken, or tofu replacing the chicken. All delicious, so take your pick.
My mother’s version of this dish used a whole cut-up chicken or thighs, all parts skin on and bone in, lots of butter, and heavy cream, not heart-friendly by any means! If this is on the menu now (the past week birthday request), I make the heart-healthy version, with local chicken, but it is just as delicious with portobello mushrooms or tofu as the star.
Let’s bring this into the 21st Century
To lighten this up, I used some local boneless, skinless chicken breasts from the farm down the road, full of flavor, organically raised, with a traveling carbon footprint of just a couple miles. To save even more saturated fat, I subbed light coconut milk for the heavy cream and olive oil for the butter. It is still creamy and tastes very much like the original, and pleases the meat eaters in the family.
Play with your herbs
You can swap out the herbs for others you like. Mom often used sage or her favorite Bell’s Seasoning, which is quite nice here. It is still sold in its little hard-to-open box. I like it best with rosemary and tarragon, and sometimes fennel seed if I also have a bulb on hand, but it is always about what strikes your own fancy when cooking, or, what is growing in the herb bed.
Fall in love with your local mushrooms!
I was lucky and found some lovely local mushrooms for this dish recently and it was a really nice mix. They were every bit as beautiful as the commercially produced ones they sat next to at the co-op, they were a bit more expensive, but they weren’t shipped from across the country, and that’s plus for me. You can use anything you love from shiitake to regular button mushrooms, it’s all good!
Another handy dish that is finished while the pasta cooks, but lovely enough for company, and there’s a vegetarian option following that uses tofu.
Chicken Medallions in White Wine with Wild Mushrooms
- 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb. organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into medallions, OR four large portobello mushrooms, same
- 2 tbsp. flour, *Wondra if you have it
- 1 large yellow onion, sliced
- 1 lb. wild mushrooms, a mix if possible, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 star anise
- 1 sprig of rosemary, whole
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2/3 cup homemade mushroom stock, below, or other stock
- 2 tbsp. fresh parsley
- 2 tsp. fresh minced tarragon or 1 tsp. dried
- ½ cup light coconut milk, or a little more
- 1 lb. whole wheat penne or other pasta, or brown rice
Prep the vegetables, reserving any mushroom stems, as well as enough onion to make two tablespoons minced for the stock. Combine stock ingredients, below, and let simmer while you make the rest of the dish. This isn’t essential, you can use whatever stock you have, but if you have this little bits, why not put them to work? Cut the chicken into medallions, and set aside.
Put pasta water on, or prepare brown rice. I like it both ways.
Season the chicken medallions with salt and pepper and dust with the flour. Heat a large skillet over medium high and add the oil. When shimmering, add the chicken chunks and brown lightly on both sides. You don’t want them fully cooked yet. Remove from the pan, cover them, add a bit more oil to the pan, and toss in the onion and mushrooms, seasoning them as well.
Continue cooking until the onions have softened, and everything has started to take on a bit of color. Add the garlic, star anise, and rosemary sprig, and continue cooking for a minute or so, until fragrant.
Sprinkle just a bit more flour over all, mix everything up, then add the stock and white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown glaze; let this reduce a few minutes. Toss the chicken back in, along with the tarragon and parsley, and continue to cook, uncovered, another five minutes or so, until the chicken is cooked through, then stir in the coconut milk and remove from heat, covered. Taste for seasoning.
Drain the pasta, reserving a cup of liquid, and plate it. If the chicken mixture needs to be loosened, add some of the reserved pasta water. Fish out the rosemary spring and star anise, no one wants these! Serve chicken over the pasta (or rice) in a large bowl or platter, and garnish with fresh herbs.
- Wondra flour is that old time precooked flour in the funny round box that your mother probably had stuffed in the back of the pantry. Because it is precooked, it browns much quicker than raw flour and is great in browning a thin protein you don’t want to overcook, or to make a quick roux for gravy.
Mushroom stock:
- 1 oz. dried mushrooms
- 2 cups water
- 2 tbsp. minced onion
- 1 star anise
- S&P
- Any other vegetable trimmings on hand
Combine everything and simmer for 15 minutes. Let sit until room temperature, then drain.
Vegetarian Options
This dish is easily adapted to a pressed, extra-firm tofu, that you have baked to firm it up even more. My instructions for Baked tofu here. Or you can use large, meaty portobello mushrooms in place of the chicken, just cut them into desired size, remove the gills (add this to the stock) and proceed as with chicken.
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This sounds wonderful Dorothy, I love the way you lightened it up by using coconut milk instead of cream~
Thank you Jenna! I’ve been experimenting with lots of little tricks since my husband’s heart attack. The coconut milk is a good one!
I’d gladly enjoy whichever version of this you put in front of me, Dorothy! Thank you for educating me about Wondra. I remember it from years gone by, but always assumed that it was just finely milled and in a shaker can for convenience. I had no idea about it being pre-cooked!
Thank you Terrie!
I think the Wondra being precooked is why is was so popular to make gravies. Mom usually had a box on the shelf, and usually that is what she used it for, and to coat thin fish.
Love chicken and mushrooms!
It’s a great combination!
Oh, this sounds good! And thanks so much for vegetarian version. We love baked tofu and have it weekly, usually with a peanut sauce over rice and broccoli.
Tofu with peanut sauce is one of my all-time favorites. I crave it! Here’s one of my favorite versions: https://vintagekitchen.org/2019/05/10/baked-thai-tofu-with-peanut-sesame/
Chicken and creamy mushroom sauce – hard to resist! 🙂
I know!
What’s not to like and enjoy about this lovely dish?!!
Coconut milk is my ‘go to’ when cream is needed in a dish. Lovely stuff! :))
Thank you so much! I love using coconut milk, such a great ingredient!
Yumolicious. Mushrooms are such a tasty addition to almost everything, in my book. Too bad my husband doesn’t agree. 😜🍃🍄
Oh, we’ll he can always pick them out!
🤣 Not gonna happen. 🤣
Dorothy, it would really be easier if I lived closer so I could taste test before leaving a comment. 🙂
That would be awesome! My next move.
Wild mushrooms and white wine – this looks wonderful!
Thank you! It’s a lovely flavor combination!
Coconut milk, anise and cloves! You have given an old classic chicken/mushroom dish a new and exciting look . . . Asian mushrooms and brown rice for me . . . . shall taste soon!
Thank you! I hope you enjoy this as much as my family dies!
I wish I could cross my arms and nod my head like I Dream Of Jeannie and have your food magically appear before me! Luscious!
I’ll try, too, but I’m a little out of practice!
Wow, those fresh mushrooms look divine! How I wish we had them available where I live. All of your meals sound and look wonderful Dorothy!
Thank you Diane! I’m an absolute mushroom fanatic!
I could eat this any way you want to cook it for me. And I learned something new… Wondra! I am going to get some now that I know what it is and why I should have some!
Thank you Nancy! I wish I could cook for all my blogging friends!
Wondra is handy to have in the pantry!
I have a punnet of mushrooms in the fridge, Dorothy, and have been wondering what to do with them… Sorted.. 🙂
I’ll pick up a couple of Portobello mushrooms tomorrow and look forward to dinner a la Dorothy!
Wonderful! I think you are going to love this one!
We loved it…
I was so surprised by the flavoursome stock. I had a couple of ‘older’ button mushrooms and added them as well. Delightful; and so hearty! The Portobello mushrooms always surprise with their ‘meaty’ consistency, and their rich flavour.
Another winner… Thanks to you… 🙂
I’m delighted that you enjoyed it as much as we do. Mushrooms can offer so much flavor, and tossing in those older button mushrooms is exactly what I would have done!
You are surrounded by such great food available just nearby! That’s wonderful! I always loved the combination of chicken and mushrooms, this dish must be super flavorful 😋
I really am lucky Ribana. There are lots of wonderful farms around here, all practicing sustainable methods. i realize I am living in a little green bubble, but I see more good changes coming in agriculture, at least in our little part of the world.
What a wonderful looking dish. So much flavor and delicious ingredients.
Looks delicious!
Thank you! it’s quite tasty, and it is easy too.
Wondra flour is new to me. Dang this looks so yummy!!
Thank you! It was really tasty.
I’ll try to remember to tuck a photo of the flour so people will know what to look for!
What a luscious array of mushrooms!
Thanks! I was delighted to find them, and they were really tasty!
As usual, it’s 2:30 in the afternoon and I’m salivating over your mushroom and chicken! And now I have to go to the grocery store and you know what I’m buying? Yes, mushrooms and chicken! You put out the best dishes Dorothy, thanks for updating them with healthier ingredients and sharing your ideas. Hugs, C
Thank you Cheryl! You get me. I love the food we grew up on, but with a cholesterol level hovering a bit too high and a husband who had a heart attack, some updates are needed. But the food is still delicious! Let me know how you like this one, it’s one the family loves, even with my fiddling!
I’m a big fan of mushrooms—this sounds like a great dish! 🙂
Thanks Nancy! I love just about anything with mushrooms!
I just know that I would love this recipe and can not wait to try it. Pasta dishes are my favorite. I had to laugh when I read your mom used Bell seasoning… such a classic. We have an Asian Market in town that sells very flavorful mushrooms so I will pick up some of those. Thanks for the alternative ideas for lowering saturated fat too!
Dorothy, I made this incredibly delicious dish tonight, and my husband and I enjoyed it very much! I had fresh tarragon and rosemary in the garden. The mushrooms from the Asian Mart were so flavorful, too. Thank you so much. Your cooking style/flavors are unique! It makes cooking really interesting! Yum!
Thank you so much! I’m so glad you enjoyed this dish! Nothing like using our own herbs this time of year, and tarragon and rosemary are two of my favorites!