Tonight we made Chicken with Morels. The idea for making something like this came from a dinner that Kim had on our trip to Paris two years ago. When morels were available from our Internet grocer, Fresh Direct, this week, it was definitely time for Kim to try this recipe. We normally would have saved something with this many steps for a Friday or Saturday night, but since we both were taking Friday as a vacation day from work, we opted to do this on a Thursday night.

The recipe uses Maderia–a type of fortified wine like port–and we never had it before and we both thought it was delicious. The merchant at our local wine shop suggested it would make for a nice appetizer with some raw nuts. It did indeed and we enjoyed a glass of Maderia with some almonds and hazelnuts, as I baked a parbaked French bread.

The recipe called for dried morels but I used fresh ones with great results and simply skipped the steps for hydrating the morels. The sauce comes together very easily and it was definitely helpful to have all the ingredients measured and ready to use. Again, a nice thing about this recipe is that it finishes in the oven (I used my Le Creuset dutch oven), giving enough time to tidy up the kitchen and slice the French bread before sitting down to dinner.

Since I had never made this dish before, I opted  to make a simple salad so I could give the chicken and morels my full attention. I think next time, I would definitely feel confident enough to make a more elaborate vegetable side. I definitely recommend serving with the French bread. The sauce is delicious and the bread is perfect for soaking up every last drop.