A Lovely Yellow Saffron Chicken

What? Were you expecting a Monday Mouthful entry instead of Saffron chicken? Or maybe you had high expectations and thought you might see the Monday Mouthful entry on Monday?! I'm getting to it...a little later than planned, but in the next couple of days, I promise! In the meantime, head on over to ChefE's Duck Duck Goose Cassoulet or My Carolina Kitchen's Black-Eyed Pea and Chicken Cassoulet and prepare to drool.

I do have a yummy recipe to share while you're waiting breathlessly for my version of cassoulet, though: Saffron Chicken from Giada De Laurentiis' Giada's Kitchen. (I actually think she calls it "Chicken Scaloppine with Saffron Cream Sauce," but I've decided that the title is too long.) You can see below for the recipe, which is pretty tasty, but I think next time I would add some olives to the mix to add a little more flavor to the subtleness of the saffron and cream.


Luckily, I thought the flavors sounded a little Spanish (Saffron will always equal Spain to me), so I bought some small black olives and Quark- and herb-stuffed peppers at a German grocery store to go along with it. It was delicious! So, all in all, this was a good, solid recipe that can withstand some stronger flavors along side or even in the dish itself.

Saffron Chicken
from Giada De Laurentiis' Giada's Kitchen

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound thin chicken cutlets (or chicken breasts pounded thin)
3/4 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning meat
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning meat
2 shallots, sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)

Warm the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season the chicken cutlets with salt and pepper. Cook the chicken until golden and cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Reduce the heat to medium, add the shallots and garlic, and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is almost evaporated. Add the chicken broth and saffron threads, bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes, or until reduced by half. Add the cream, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir to combine.

Simmer for 1 minute to blend the flavors. Pour the sauce over the chicken. (Or in my case, I slid the chicken back into the sauce to reheat and absorb some of that lovely sauce until my pasta was ready.) Sprinkle with the parsley if desired and serve immediately.

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