The original recipe can be found here: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/chicken-asparagus-and-wild-mushroom-stir-fry#recipe-ingredients
This one is great--the only clean up is the sautee pan, a plate, and a few utensils--and it goes from ingredients to table in less than 30 minutes. It's a fantastic weeknight meal full of fresh veggies, and when made without the heavy cream, it's light.
The main change I made to this recipe was substituting chicken broth for the heavy cream. I'm lactose intolerant and I don't carry my Lactaid around often. I'm looking for ways to keep my cooking fresh and light. Heavy cream doesn't fit the bill, especially when it's 90 degrees outside. I also didn't have Piment d'Espelette. Frankly, I had to Google what it is--a smoky, mild pepper grown in southwest France. I learned this from The Perfect Pantry--you can check it out here. To substitute, I mixed some paprika and cayenne pepper from my spice rack.
You'll need:
olive oil
1lb. boneless chicken breast
1 lb. thin asparagus
1 package shiitake mushrooms (2 if you like mushrooms!)
minced garlic
shallot or onion
white wine
chicken broth
Piment d'Espelette (or cayenne pepper and paprika)
water
salt and pepper
optional--a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness
Here's how I made the magic happen:
Wash all produce. Trim ends from asparagus.
Heat one tablespoon olive oil in large sautee pan. Once pan is hot, add asparagus, salt, and pepper. Sautee for one minute, then add a splash of water and put lid on sautee pan, allow to cook 3-4 more minutes. I like my asparagus crisp, so I cooked it a total of four minutes. Remove asparagus. Leave the remaining liquid in pan.
Add another tablespoon of olive oil, add the shiitake mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Sautee 8 minutes, remove and add to plate of asparagus.
Add last tablespoon of olive oil, sautee a tablespoon of minced garlic and, either 1/3 cup minced shallot or I added what I had on hand--1/2 cup of minced red onion for two minutes. Then add the chicken, Piment d'Espelette (or the cayenne and paprika). Instead of measuring the cayenne and paprika, I just added a pinch of cayenne and dusted the contents of the pan with the paprika. After chicken was beginning to turn white on outside (about 5 minutes), I added 1/3 cup white wine and half a can of chicken broth. In the Bon Appetit recipe, this would've been when the heavy cream was added.
Starting to cook the chicken while the sauteed asparagus and shiitake mushrooms wait to return to the pan.
Bring contents to a boil. At this time, I removed the chicken so it wouldn't get overcooked, then let the contents boil in the pan until they reduced to a sauce that would coat the back of a spoon. Taste sauce, adjust salt and pepper as needed. I also added a little more cayenne pepper and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice for a hint of brightness.
The broth-based sauce reduced enough to coat a spoon. The paprika darkened the color--it isn't burnt.
Turn off stove, add the asparagus, chicken, and mushrooms back to pan to coat in the sauce, then serve.
The well-liked final product.
My husband ate his plate of food before I was halfway done, then returned to the kitchen and ate the contents of the container I prepared for him to take as lunch the next day. Curiously, he asked what the seasoning was, which makes me think that if I'd used real Piment d'Espelette, it may have been even more intriguing. I can't say I used the paprika in my pantry often--mainly just for deviled eggs!
The only change we would make next time is to toss in two containers of shiitake mushrooms. We both enjoy mushrooms, and the container we used was only 3.5 or 4 ounces worth. If you're going to be missing a starchy element, some grilled or crusty bread will make this dish more satisfying. I didn't miss the starch--I actually enjoyed having something light.
As an aside, this recipe seems like it would be more aptly named "Chicken, Asparagus, and Wild Mushroom Sautee." Nevertheless, this recipe (with the broth substituted for cream) was another hit at my house. Enjoy!
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