Russia · Appetizers and Sandwiches
Chicken and Mushroom Julienne
Julienne in Russian cooking is not a way of cutting vegetables: it is the name of a hot appetizer (жюльен, zhulyen), chicken and mushrooms in cream sauce baked under cheese in small individual cocotte dishes.
Ingredients
- chicken fillet400 g
- champignon mushrooms400 g
- onion1
- butter50 g
- all-purpose flour3 tbsp
- heavy cream400 ml
- hard cheese100 g
- salt and black pepperto taste
- ground nutmegto taste
Method
- 1Boil chicken fillet in salted water for 15–20 minutes from the point the water returns to a boil, until the juice runs clear when you pierce the thickest part. Cool and cut into cubes. Slice mushrooms thinly, dice onion finely.
- 2Melt 20–30 g butter in a skillet. Sauté mushrooms on high heat until all liquid evaporates. Add onion and cook until golden and translucent. Add chicken, season with salt and pepper, stir.
- 3For the sauce: melt remaining butter in a saucepan, add flour and whisk for 1 minute. Pour in cream in a thin stream. Warm over low heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce coats the back of a spoon; do not let it boil. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
- 4Combine chicken, mushroom mixture and sauce. Fill cocotte makers or small ramekins. Top with grated cheese. Bake at 180 °C for 15–20 minutes until golden brown; if your oven has a grill, switch it on for the last 2–3 minutes for a deeper crust.