Name: Chicken breast with creamy mushroom sauce, broccoli and couscous
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Belgian / European
Ingredients: 700 g chicken breast; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1/2 tsp paprika; pepper (to taste); salt (to taste); 250 g mushrooms; 1 piece shallot; 1 clove garlic; 200 ml cooking cream (15% fat); 150 ml chicken stock; 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 15 g butter; 1/2 tsp dried thyme; pepper (to taste); salt (to taste); 1 tbsp parsley (chopped, optional); 500 g broccoli; 100-150 ml vegetable stock (depending on the pan); 300 g couscous (dry); pepper (to taste); salt (to taste); nutmeg (freshly grated, a few gratings)

Method

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Method

Finely chop the shallot and garlic. Slice the mushrooms. Divide the broccoli into florets and cut the peeled stalk into small pieces.
Slice thick chicken breasts horizontally into two thinner pieces. Pat dry and season both sides with paprika, pepper and salt.
Prepare the couscous according to the packet instructions, using the specified amount of boiling water. Cover and leave to absorb the water, then fluff up with a fork.
Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan. Fry the chicken until golden brown on both sides, then lower the heat and cook until fully cooked through. The cooking time depends on the thickness. Remove from the pan and keep warm, loosely covered.
Turn the heat to low and melt about half the butter in the same pan. Gently cook the shallot for 3–4 minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. Remove both from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining butter and increase the heat. Fry the mushrooms until the released moisture has evaporated and they are nicely browned. Work in two batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan.
Return the shallot and garlic to the pan, along with the thyme. Pour in the chicken stock and stir to loosen the browned bits. Add the cream and mustard and simmer gently for 5–8 minutes to reduce. Taste and season with pepper and salt if needed.
Put the broccoli in a wide frying pan with a shallow layer of vegetable stock. Cover and cook gently over a medium-low heat for 5–8 minutes. Check after 5 minutes whether the broccoli is tender but still has a little bite, and add a splash of stock if needed. At the end, remove the lid and let any excess liquid evaporate. Season with pepper, a few gratings of nutmeg and salt if needed.

Image · Jo Huys
Return the chicken and any juices to the creamy mushroom sauce and heat through briefly. Finish with parsley if desired. Serve with the broccoli and couscous.

Image · Jo Huys

Tip

Today we served this dish with couscous because we had run out of rice. It is also lovely with rice, mashed potatoes or croquettes.

A small onion can replace the shallot. Cook it gently until completely soft.

You can replace 50 ml chicken stock with dry white wine. Let the wine reduce briefly before adding the rest of the stock and the cream.

If the sauce is too thin, let it reduce for longer or thicken it with a little cornflour mixed with cold water.

Chicken breast with creamy mushroom sauce, broccoli and couscous

Ingredients

For the chicken

For the creamy mushroom sauce

For the side dishes

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Method

Tip