Winner Winner Vinegar Chicken Dinner

2020 Central Coast Vinegar Competition badges: Best of Class (purple) and Double Gold (yellow).

American Vinegar Works Chicken with Cream and Mushrooms

Winner, Winner, (Vinegar) Chicken Dinner! That promised chicken dinner…

This recipe features our Porter Beer Malt Vinegar and California Extra Virgin Olive Oil, opens in a new tab.

Which vinegar to use, and why

Chicken skin and pan fat need cutting through, and red wine vinegar reduces into the fond rather than sitting on top of it. We use Ultimate Red Wine Vinegar here. It is slow-fermented and aged in oak at our mill in Worcester, Massachusetts, which is why it seasons the dish rather than just souring it.

Make it ahead and keep it

Best straight from the pan. If you are reheating, add the vinegar again at the end rather than at the start, since heat drives off what you paid for.

What to cook next

Try Poulet au Vinaigre, or browse all our vinegar recipes. If you have not cooked with craft vinegar before, a mini bottle sampler set lets you taste across the range before committing to a full-size bottle. Orders over $85 ship free within the contiguous US.

Chicken With Cream and Mushrooms

American Vinegar Works

Servings

3 People

Prep Time

10 minutes

Cook Time

20 minutes

Calories

450

Cuisine

American

Category

Main

This comforting chicken dinner features thick cutlets pan-seared to golden perfection and smothered in a rich, savory cream sauce. The unique depth of flavor comes from a combination of earthy cremini mushrooms, Dijon mustard, and the distinct tang of Porter Beer Malt Vinegar, which is specifically recommended for cream-based dishes.

Chicken With Cream and Mushrooms

Ingredients

  • 3 thick chicken cutlets
  • 1/4 cup of California Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 large garlic cloves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup (or a little more…) of heavy cream
  • 1 rounded tablespoon of Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons of white wine
  • 2 tablespoons of Porter Beer Malt Vinegar
  • Small pack of cremini mushrooms
  • Salt
  • Fresh-ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Marinate the chicken. No time? Just salt and pepper it. Slice or quarter the mushrooms and set aside. Mix vinegar, wine, and mustard and set aside.

  2. Put the olive oil in a stainless steel skillet over medium flame. Add bay leaf, just a small dash of red pepper flakes (this is not meant to be a spicy dish), and add grated or minced garlic. Let the garlic and herbs cook a bit but don’t let them brown—we are just infusing the olive oil. Once the oil is hot add the chicken cutlets. Pan fry on both sides until there are some browning marks. Remove the chicken cutlets to a side plate.

  3. Add the wine, mustard, and vinegar mix to the pan to deglaze. Make sure you scrape all the bits from the pan bottom (this is why I like to use stainless steal—there are more bits!). Add the mushrooms and cook until they get a bit tender (you may want to cover the pan a few minutes).

  4. Lower the flame so that the mushrooms and sauce are not too hot. Stir the heavy cream to blend well with the mushrooms (too hot and the cream may break).

  5. Return the cooked chicken cutlets (and any juices) to the pan and flip them so that they are coated with the sauce if there isn’t enough room to submerge them. Cook on very low flame to reduce very slightly.

  6. Taste and adjust salt and black pepper as needed. Serve with more of that crusty bread.