Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce

When you are part of a community of food bloggers you tend to notice when a recipe becomes popular. Suddenly you see everyone making it and you start to wonder what all the fuss is about. If you're lucky, the recipe is outstanding and you're happy to add it to your arsenal. I've seen this recipe for Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce on a few of my favorite blogs lately. The ingredient list alone drew me in and the rave reviews sealed the deal.


You know me and my love for cream sauces so this one was guaranteed to be a winner. I didn't use reduced-fat sour cream so my calorie count was a bit higher, but otherwise I stayed true to the original recipe. I'm not exaggerating when I say I loved this meal. The sauce. Oh the sauce. I do love sauce and this one was perfectly creamy without being overly rich. The bite from the Dijon was perfect to accent the nice, mild onion flavor from the chives and shallots. You definitely want to serve this over mashed potatoes to soak up that delicious sauce.

I know I say this often but I apologize for the awful photos. I actually got a light box recently but haven't had time to set it up. I hate when I don't have good photos for a recipe I love because I don't want the lackluster photos to deter anyone from http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifmaking the recipe. I will definitely be rephotographing this either with the light box or natural light. For now, go to Prevention RD, who made this the same night I did, for some absolutely drool-inducing photos.

Chicken with Creamy Chive Sauce
Slightly Modified from Gourmet Day to Day

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, (about 1 pound), trimmed of fat
1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon flour, divided
3 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 large shallots, finely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 14-ounce can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/3 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped chives, (about 1 bunch)

Cut each chicken breast in half length-wise to make two, thin piece. Alternatively, place chicken between in a plastic food storage bag and pound with a meat mallet until flattened to an even thickness, about 1/2 inch.

Place 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 cup flour in a plastic food storage bag. Add the chicken, seal the bag, and toss to coat evenly.

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover and keep warm.

Heat the remaining 1 teaspoon oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring constantly and scraping up any browned bits, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon flour; stir to coat. Add wine, broth and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt; bring to a boil, stirring often.

Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until heated through and no longer pink in the center, about 6 minutes. Stir in sour cream and mustard until smooth; turn the chicken to coat with the sauce. Stir in chives and serve immediately.