Dinner Party Meal Ideas – Gourmet Champagne Chicken

This luxurious chicken recipe combines the salty flavor of prosciutto, the acidity of champagne and the aromatic flavor of fresh tarragon to get a startlingly good dish. Even though this is a gourmet recipe, there is nothing difficult about making it and if you are looking for dinner party recipe ideas this one is great.

Serve it with garlic mashed potatoes or rice. This recipe serves four people. You only need half a cup of champagne for this so choose a good one and serve the rest with the meal. A dry champagne suits this recipe best so pick something sufficiently dry.

This recipe is great because it is so simple. You just need to saute the ingredients, add the poultry, and then keep it in a warm oven while you finish off the sauce. Even if you are new to making such recipes or using ingredients like these you will find this a very simple dish to prepare. Obviously, your guests do not need to know how easy it is, so you can keep that bit of information to yourself!

When pounding the chicken, use the flat end of a meat mallet or, if you do not have one, a wooden rolling pin. The pointy end of a meat mallet is designed to tenderize tough steaks and it will tear your chicken to pieces, which is certainly not the effect you want.

What you will need:

  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 4 finely chopped slices prosciutto
  • 2 finely chopped shallots
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 cup fresh tarragon
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup dry champagne
  • Salt and black pepper

How to make it:

Preheat the oven to the lowest setting. Stretch some plastic wrap over your work surface and put the breasts on it. Put more plastic wrap over the top, and then flatten the chicken breasts to half an inch thick using a rolling pin or the flat end of a meat mallet. Combine the flour with some salt and pepper in a pan and coat both sides of the chicken in it. Shake off any excess flour.

Heat a skillet over a moderately high heat, then add the oil, and heat it for half a minute. Saute the shallots for three minutes or until they are translucent. Add the prosciutto and saute for one minute.

Add the butter and heat it. When it starts to foam, add the breasts, and cook for a couple of minutes per side or until golden brown. Take the chicken out of the pan and put it in a shallow pan covered with foil. Put it in the oven to keep warm.

Add the champagne to the pan, scraping up any stuck-on bits from the bottom. Add the tarragon and cream and bring the mixture to a boil. Simmer it for a couple of minutes, then put the chicken back in the pan and simmer it for another minute or until the sauce is thicker. Serve the meal immediately with your chosen side dishes.