Chicken with Mushrooms in Light Brandy Cream Sauce

When I was growing up, we did not eat out that often. First of all, my mom is a great cook. Secondly, having a group of eight at a restaurant could get pretty rowdy. Now, don’t get me wrong—we were very well-behaved, believe it or not. In fact, my parents always prided themselves on the fact that other patrons would often stop by our table to compliment them on how polite their six children were. Back then, we had no cell phones to scroll through, no headphones to tune out the noise, and no iPads to distract us with movies. Instead, we actually had to speak to one another! Crazy, huh?

Now, for some reason, whenever we went out, my twin sister would almost always order chicken. Why, you ask? I have no idea. However, I can tell you it drove my dad absolutely crazy. He would ask her to please order something else that maybe we couldn’t get so easily at home. As a result, dinner started with a little squawking from him and a sly smile from her. Although she heard him loud and clear, when the waitperson came to take her order, she always went with the chicken. And, of course, she enjoyed every last bite.

I also love chicken, but as I got older, I started to realize that I rarely order it when we go out to eat. Maybe it’s my dad’s voice echoing in my head, or maybe it’s the fact that we eat a lot of chicken at home. After all, it’s so versatile, so adaptable. Just season it, and you can make a dozen dishes easily. No fuss, no muss—just a delicious piece of juicy chicken.

Fast forward to our first trip to Lake Havasu with friends. We visited one of their favorite restaurants, Shagrue’s. We had a lovely table overlooking the lake, and the place was hopping. As we sipped cocktails and scanned the menu, I gravitated, as usual, toward the fish. I’ve never met a fish I didn’t like, so naturally, I started zeroing in on my selection. Meanwhile, my friend zeroed in on the Tarragon Cream Chicken. It sounded interesting—mushrooms, shallots, brandy cream sauce, and fresh tarragon—but not enough to sway me from my fishy entrée.

When our meals arrived, the aromas were incredible, and the presentations were spot on. I am never above trying someone else’s dish, especially when the oohing and ahhing is threatening to take over the table. She asked me if I wanted to try hers, and I’m so glad I stopped shoveling my dinner into my trap long enough to take a bite. It was everything she promised and more. The chicken was tender, the sauce was decadent, and the mushrooms gave it that extra meaty backbone. Instantly, I was a fan.

That’s when it became a challenge dish. I had never had it before, but I knew I had to recreate it at home. For example, I didn’t have much more than a description to go on, but it was enough to build the base. And, as luck would have it, I had a bottle of brandy in my bar practically screaming to be noticed. It was game time.

I decided to split the chicken breasts into cutlets and dredge them, so they would be golden brown while waiting to soak up the luscious sauce. When I started building the sauce, it became a little bit of an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink situation. I wanted to lighten up the cream, so it kept a silky texture without being too heavy. Mushrooms, garlic, shallots, brandy, a pinch of nutmeg, and fresh tarragon rounded it out beautifully. Meanwhile, my brain shouted to finish it with fresh lemon juice. Home run. So, in the end, it has turned into one of my favorite recipes.

That night I realized what I had created was my very own Chicken with Mushrooms in Light Brandy Cream Sauce. Winner, winner chicken dinner—but still a little bougie. My kind of chicken.