JOHANN’S ITALIAN CHICKEN
Tuscan chicken fillets (4 portions)
8 strips smoked shoulder bacon
4 chicken breast fillets
1 onion, halved and sliced thinly
1 tbs minced garlic
Olive oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms (Portobello will do. If you use porcini, use less as they are quite strong)
¼ cup white wine
1 tub sour cream
2 tablespoons paprika
1 cube chicken stock
¼ cup almond slivers / flakes
sun-dried tomatoes
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Fry the bacon slowly until crispy. Put on a plate covered with paper towel and leave to cool and dry.
Fry the onion and garlic until shiny, add the mushrooms and fry until soft. Empty the mixture into an empty bowl and reheat the pan, adding more olive oil. Fry the chicken fillets over medium heat for about 6 minutes a side until slightly brown.
Remove fillets from the pan, turn up the heat and return the onions and mushrooms to the pan. Add the wine and stir until the wine is reduced by half then add the cup of chicken stock and tub of sour cream. Stir well until mixed thoroughly and reduce heat. Lower the chicken fillets into the sauce, season with paprika, top each fillet with a few sun-dried tomatoes and then carefully scoop the sauce over the chicken so they’re all covered with sauce, without flushing off the tomatoes.
Cover the dish with a lid and bake in the oven for 40 to 50 minutes. Have a glass of wine while slowly roasting the almond flakes. While they’re cooling down, crumble or break the fried bacon into small pieces.
When the chicken is done, dish up and scatter a handful of crumbled bacon over the chicken, followed by some roasted almond slivers. Serve with rice or tagliatelle and roasted veggies.
Buon appetito!
Recipe and photo Johann Viljoen