Ingredients
For the rice pilaf:
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/2 cup orzo or broken spaghetti
- Salt and pepper
- 1 1/2 cups long grain white rice
- 3 1/2 cups chicken stock/poaching liquid
- 1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
For the sauté:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms, such as hen of the woods or maitake, crimini and shitake (whatever looks great at the market), stemmed and sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons thyme, chopped
- 1 bundle asparagus, ends trimmed, thinly sliced on bias
- 4 shallots, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 1/2 cup Marsala wine or dry sherry
- 2 1/2 cups poaching liquid/chicken stock
- 2-3 cups pulled poached chicken or pulled rotisserie chicken
- 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
Directions
- For the rice, heat a medium size saucepot over medium heat with the butter; melt. Add the pasta and toast to deep golden brown, nutty and fragrant; season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute; add the stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer; cover and cook for 18 minutes, to tender. Stir in the pine nuts and fluff with a fork.
- Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a turn of the pan. Melt the butter into the oil and add the mushrooms. Brown well, then add salt, pepper and the thyme, asparagus, shallots and garlic. Stir to tender-crisp, 3 minutes. Sprinkle in the flour and stir a for minute or so more. Add the Marsala or sherry and stir; add the stock and thicken until it becomes a loose gravy. Add the chicken and parsley; remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
- Serve in shallow bowls lined with pilaf and filled with chicken sauté.