Chicken Cutlets With Mushroom Dressing

Recipe courtesy of Florence Fabricant, photo by Tony Cenicola for The New York Times. The recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs but we prefer boneless skinless chicken breasts. Our boneless skinless turkey thighs and turkey tenderloins also work.

"This French-inspired chicken dish isn’t exactly weeknight fare, but it is sophisticated comfort food that is well worth the effort. First, boneless chicken thighs or breasts are pounded into cutlets, marinated in garlic, lemon juice and thyme (up to 6 hours, but even a short sit will do nicely), then breaded and fried. They are then dressed in a rich yet delightfully piquant sauce of mushrooms, shallots, garlic, Dijon mustard, white wine and balsamic vinegar that is a welcome contrast to the richness of the fried chicken. Serve with a crisp green salad (and a potato gratin or pommes Anna if you're feeling particularly ambitious). If you’d prefer to fry the chicken 30 minutes or so in advance and keep it in the oven at 175 degrees, that’ll work beautifully. As for what to drink, this dish pairs perfectly with the pinot noirs of the Côte Chalonnaise on the southern end of Burgundy. Bon appétit!" — Florence Fabricant

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 2lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, boneless skinless turkey thighs, or turkey tenderloins, pounded flat
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and ground black pepper
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme plus 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
• ⅓ cup chopped shallots
• 12 ounces small button mushrooms, quartered
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp good quality balsamic vinegar
• ⅓ cup flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• ¾ cup dry bread crumbs
• 4 tbsp grapeseed oil
• 6 lemon wedges

Preparation:

Combine lemon juice, half the olive oil and half the garlic in a shallow dish that can hold chicken in a single layer. Add chicken, turn to coat, dust with salt and pepper and top with thyme sprigs. Cover and refrigerate about 6 hours.

About 45 minutes before serving, heat remaining olive oil in a 10-inch skillet. Add shallots and remaining garlic and sauté on medium until soft. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring, until they are moist and softened, starting to color and have exuded juices. Shut off heat. Dissolve mustard in wine and mix in vinegar. Reheat mushrooms, add mustard mixture and cook on medium-high until liquid has reduced to thickness of heavy cream. Season with salt and pepper; remove from heat.

Place flour in a shallow bowl, eggs in another bowl and bread crumbs in a third. Discard thyme sprigs from chicken. Dip chicken thighs, 1 at a time, lightly in flour, then egg, then crumbs to coat both sides. Set on a plate. Heat grapeseed oil in a large skillet, preferably cast iron. Sauté chicken cutlets on medium until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side in 2 shifts. Remove to a serving platter as they are done. Tent with foil to keep warm.

Reheat mushrooms and add thyme leaves. Place some mushroom mixture on each cutlet along with a lemon wedge and serve.