I made this for dinner last night.  Wowza!!!  I had never used leeks in cooking before, and found that they are wonderful!  Leeks are very mild and add great flavor.  Instead of the butter, I used extra virgin olive oil, which made this dish very light.  We aren’t big bread people around here, so I topped thin spaghetti with the chicken and sauce.    Even my extremely picky husband went back for seconds!!!

I am going to try the Chicken in Ginger Sauce this weekend!

Makes 4 servings

Time:  30 minutes

A more-or-less traditional Provençal preparation, one that must be served with good bread, or at least a spoon for the sauce.

  1. 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter or olive oil
  2. 2 leeks, washed well and diced, including some of the green part
  3. 1/2 cup dry white wine
  4. 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock, or water
  5. 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or tarragon leaves, or a good pinch dried thyme or tarragon
  6. 4 boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (2 breasts), 1 to 1-1/2 pounds, rinsed and patted dry with paper towels, and cut into 1 to 1-1/2 chunks
  7. 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  8. Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  9. Minced fresh parsley leaves for garnish

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter or oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the leeks and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.  Add the wine, stock or water, and herb; bring to a boil and let bubble for a minute or two.

Add the chicken, turn the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the meat is barely cooked through, 5 or 6 minutes.  Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and keep warm.

Turn the heat to high and cook the sauce rapidly, stirring occasionally, until just about 3/4 cup remains; this will take 5 to 10 minutes.  Lower the heat to medium-low, add the lemon juice, then stir in the remaining butter or oil a bit at a time.  If you are using oil, add it gradually, stirring vigorously with the back of a spoon as you do so.

Season with salt and pepper and return the chicken chunks to the sauce to heat through.  Garnish and serve immediately.

Chicken in Ginger Sauce: Best over white rice.  Use peanut or vegetable oil.  Substitute 1 teaspoon mince garlic and 3 tablespoons peeled and minced fresh ginger for the leeks and cook only 2 or 3 minutes.  Reduce the wine to 1/4 cup and omit the herb; add 1/4 cup soy sauce after you have reduced the wine and stock.  You need not reduce this sauce; simply adjust the seasoning after the chicken is cooked through and serve.  Omit the lemon juice and garnish with mince cilantro instead of parsley.