Chicken Scallopine with Saffron Cream Sauce

There was a time, quite a few years ago, that Eric and I ate chicken almost every night. I got so sick of it because we were making it similar ways week after week. I’ve got so many recipes saved now that chicken monotony is no longer a problem. Plus, we’ve long since moved away from eating chicken so frequently. If you’re in a chicken rut, this meal is a fantastic way to end it.

While chicken can be elegant, I don’t normally think of it as so, especially when it’s boneless skinless breasts. This dish easily changed my mind, though. Not just elegant, this dish is insanely delicious and can be made in about twenty minutes. At the risk of sounding overly effusive, this is the best meal Eric and I have eaten in a long time. The chicken tastes fine on its own, and it develops a nice crust during its short cooking time. However, the real star of this dish is the sauce, which owes its golden yellow hue and rich taste to the saffron. Combine that with tender, sweet shallots, and you’ve got a sauce that’s hard to resist. After I took these photos, I spooned some of the sauce onto my mashed potatoes and roasted asparagus. It was just that good. I’m usually wary of cream sauces on meat, but this one isn’t heavy like you might expect. The cream is added at the end, after the chicken broth is reduced, resulting in a sauce that’s neither too thick nor too thin. This sauce transforms a simple sautéed chicken breast into something magical, and I cannot wait to make this meal again.