Food for when it’s pouring

A Pinch of Salt

By Donna Marie Riani

When most people think of Oregon wine, they think of Pinot Noir and rightfully so. Our Pinot Noir is world-class, but so is our Chardonnay. These grapes can grow throughout the world in a wide range of climates and soils, which results in a variety of different styles of Chardonnay. In Oregon it’s the combination of our climate, soil and growing season that makes ours so special. Because of our cooler climates, the grapes have a longer growing season and this produces grapes with higher acidity. This higher acidity makes wine that is tart and crisp.

These grapes grow in many parts of Oregon such as the Willamette Valley and Yamhill Carlton area. The soil in these areas is pure magic — ancient, volcanic and rich in clay, chalk, and limestone. Chardonnay grapes love this soil. All these factors combine to make a white wine that is dry, rich and medium to full bodied.

When pairing wine with food there are a few things to consider, such as the sweetness of the wine and the richness or spiciness of the food. The wine should complement the food not compete with it. We all know the golden rule at this point — don’t ever cook with wine that you wouldn’t drink. Please steer clear of those bottles of cooking wine in the stores. It is cut-rate wine that wasn’t ever good enough to drink and to add insult to injury, it then has salt and a sweetener added to it. Just say no! You can find a good bottle of Chardonnay at an affordable price point and, believe me, your food will thank you for it.

Typically, Chardonnay is paired with food that isn’t too spicy or strongly flavored. Foods like mild cheeses, pork, chicken or pasta dishes that have butter or cheese sauces are perfect. Vegetable and seafood dishes are great as well. Asian food pairs beautifully too, as long as it isn’t too spicy.

On any given week I make chicken for dinner at least three times. Chicken is pretty quick cooking, especially boneless, skinless breasts and there is so much you can do with it. Because I eat so much of it, I am always looking for new ways to cook it. It’s hard to beat seared chicken with a quick pan sauce. It has a lot of flavor with minimal effort and it’s one pan that makes for easy clean up. Whatever you decide to serve with the chicken, whether it’s mashed potatoes, polenta or pasta, be sure to pour this sauce on everything.

Chicken in Chardonnay Sauce

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, feel free to substitute with gluten-free flour

Salt and black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chardonnay wine

2 tablespoons butter

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon cold water

1/4 cup heavy cream

Chopped parsley, to garnish, optional

Slice both chicken breasts in half lengthwise to create thinner pieces. You will now have four pieces of chicken. Doing this will allow the chicken to cook more quickly. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the flour in a large shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour, coating all sides. Shake off the excess.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add all four chicken pieces. If your skillet isn’t big enough, you will do this in two batches. Sear the chicken until golden brown for about four minutes on each side. Set the chicken aside on a plate and cover to keep it warm.

Add the wine to the skillet. If you are cooking on a gas stove, remove the skillet from the heat to add the wine. This will prevent the wine from igniting. Place the skillet back on the burner over medium heat. With a wooden spoon, scrape the bottom of the skillet to loosen the browned bits and incorporate them into the wine. Those brown bits are flavor. Bring the wine to a simmer and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.

Add the butter and garlic and cook for one minute. Next, add the chicken broth and a couple pinches of salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Stir the cornstarch and water to make sure the cornstarch is dissolved. Stir this into the simmering wine sauce. Cook for one minute. This will thicken the sauce and give it more body. Taste the sauce for seasoning. Add more salt if needed.

Add the chicken into the wine sauce and simmer for five minutes to reheat the chicken.

Place the chicken on two plates and spoon some of the wine sauce over. Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.