Chicken With Wild Mushrooms And Balsamic Cream Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

salt
1/2 lb orzo pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 (6 ounce) chicken breasts
pepper
2 tablespoons butter
12 cremini mushrooms, sliced (baby portabello mushrooms)
12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
12 white mushrooms, sliced
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon thyme leaves, chopped (a couple of sprigs)
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons heavy cream or 3 tablespoons half-and-half
1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (a generous handful)

Preparation

Heat a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add orzo pasta. Cook to al dente.
Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add extra-virgin olive oil. Season chicken liberally with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
Return the skillet to the heat, turn heat back a bit, and add the butter. Once the butter melts add the mushrooms and brown stirring occasionally for about 4 to 5 minutes.
Once the mushrooms are brown season with salt and pepper then add the garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook stirring occasionally for about 2 minutes or until the shallots are wilted. Sprinkle the flour into the pan and cook 2 minutes more.
Whisk in the stock, balsamic vinegar and the cream. Turn the heat up to high and simmer for about 2 minutes or until thickened. Slice the chicken on an angle. Add the parsley and the chicken back to the skillet to heat up, about 1 minute.
To serve, pile orzo on dinner plates and top with the sliced chicken and sauce.