Union League Cafe in New Haven shares its Crispy Chicken With Basmati Rice and Mushroom Veloute (video)

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Peter Hvizdak ? Register photo: Chef Vuillermet browns the chicken breast to make it crispy.

Peter Hvizdak ? Register photo: Crispy Chicken With Basmati Rice and Mushroom Veloute from Union League Cafe in New Haven.

By Stephen Fries
gw-stephen.fries@gwcc.commnet.edu / Twitter: @onthefoodscene

Peter Hvizdak ? Register photo: Jean-Pierre Vuillermet, Union League Cafe chef-owner, and his Crispy Chicken With Basmati Rice and Mushroom Veloute.

Found: Tina Cascio of East Haven was at the Cooking for CASA fundraiser at Amarante?s and was impressed by all the delicious fare offered by Greater New Haven restaurants. She asked me if I could get the recipe for a chicken dish that Union League Cafe, (1032 Chapel St., New Haven, www.unionleaguecafe.com) served.

Tina, get out your pans, since Jean-Pierre Vuillermet, executive chef and owner, was happy to share this recipe.

Crispy Chicken With Basmati Rice and Mushroom Veloute

2? pounds (4 pieces) boneless chicken breast with skin on

1 bunch green asparagus, blanched in salted water

Rice

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

? cup yellow onion, diced

2 tablespoons carrot, small dice

2 tablespoons celery, small dice Continued...

1 cup basmati rice

1 pinch curry powder

1 bay leaf

? teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1? cups chicken broth

Salt and pepper to taste

? cup coconut milk

In a medium saucepan, heat vegetable oil. Add onion, carrot and celery and saute on low heat until onion starts to soften. Add rice, curry powder, thyme and bay leaf. Saute for another minute. Stir in the chicken broth, salt and pepper, cover pot and bring to a boil. Once it boils, lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in coconut milk. Let sit for 5 minutes until liquid is absorbed, stir and serve.

Sauce

? tablespoon vegetable oil Continued...

1 tablespoon onion, chopped

1 small garlic clove

6-ounce package portobello mushrooms or white mushrooms, washed

1 tablespoon sherry or Madeira

1 cup chicken broth

? cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

In a saucepan, heat the vegetable oil. Add onion and garlic. Saute on medium heat for 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and saute until the onion and mushrooms start to brown. Reduce the heat, and deglaze with the wine. Add chicken broth, heavy cream , salt and pepper. Bring back to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Puree in a blender until smooth. Put back in the pan and adjust the consistency with more chicken stock or heavy cream if too thick.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Put ? tablespoon of vegetable oil in an ovenproof saute pan large enough to hold the chicken breasts in 1 layer without being overcrowded. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, place in the sauce pan, and sear them skin-side down on the stove for 1 minute. Place the pan in the oven for 15 minutes. Take pan out of oven and turn the chicken on the other side. Let rest for 5 minutes in the pan.

Re-heat the asparagus tips with a little butter or olive oil. Place the rice in the center of each plate and arrange the asparagus tips around the rice. Use leftover spears in another recipe. Split each chicken breast in half and place on top of rice. Spoon the mushroom veloute on top of all. Makes 4 servings. Continued...

Desperately seeking

Valerie Shanoff of Branford wrote, ?I would love to have the recipe for the ossobuco from Dalton?s Restaurant (2429 Foxon Road, North Branford, 203-481-4711, daltonct.com). I have had it many times and it gets better each time.?

Chef du Jour request

Recently, I wrote my first Chef du Jour profile (Denise Appel of Zinc) here in Food. This column features an interview with an area chef, where you learn more about these creative people, their passions and how and why they got into the business. They also share favorite seasonal recipes. I asked, in the column if there is a chef in mind whom you would like me to interview.

Patricia Garcia of New Haven wrote, ?I think you would enjoy interviewing Edward Varipapa, owner-chef of Leon?s Restaurant in North Haven. He is fourth-generation owner-chef of the restaurant, which first opened on Washington Avenue in New Haven in 1938. They have a Sunday Supper three-course meal with many choices for $19.38 in honor of the year ... the food is fabulous, whatever day you choose to go!!! The atmosphere and the staff are all excellent as well. His new location is beautiful, and his passion for food and pleasing people is absolute. They have a Facebook page, which I think you would find interesting. I go there every day ... he posts interesting articles, as well as photos of some of his dishes.?

I will check to see if the chef at Dalton?s will share the recipe, and if Chef Varipapa would like to be featured as the Chef du Jour.

What chef would you like me to interview?

Culinary calendar

National Picnic Month: Celebrate 1-3 p.m. July 21, Elm City Market, 777 Chapel St., New Haven, with your favorite picnic foods. Have your face painted by artist Daniela Balzano and participate in her community art project ?Paint Away Hunger,? http://bit.ly/14ojIau. Assorted picnic fare for $1 each. More at www.elmcitymarket.coop, 203-624-0441.

Taste Of Hartford: July 22-Aug. 5, participating restaurants offer special multicourse, price-fixed tasting menus including signature dishes for only $20.13, www.tastehartford.com for list of participating rerastaunts. Reservations are strongly recommended. Dining prices are available only for special taste dinner menus, including a $28 menu at select restaurants. Price does not include tax, beverages and gratuity and cannot be combined with any other special offers.

Worth Tasting: 10:45 a.m. July 27, a guided three-and-a-half hour culinary walking tour through downtown New Haven, $59, 203-777-8550 or 203-415-3519, reservations required. Enjoy samplings from many of New Haven?s favorites. You won?t be hungry after this tour. I will lead this one. Check out a previous tour at www.nhregister.com

Send us your requests

What restaurant recipes or other recipes would you like to have? What food products are you having difficulty finding? What cooking questions do you have?

Contact Stephen Fries, professor and coordinator of the Hospitality Management Programs at Gateway Community College, at gw-stephen.fries@gwcc.commnet.edu or Dept. FC, Gateway Community College, 20 Church St., New Haven, 06510. Include your name, address and phone number. For more, go to www.stephenfries.com.

Source: http://nhregister.com/articles/2013/07/17/life/doc51e59b31b07c9517737813.txt

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