Sauteed Chicken In Red Wine With Spaetzle

It's so easy to find an Italian recipe, I decided to do something different and feed my 17% German heritage. (I am 9% Greek/Italian) I mean, how many of us get the opportunity to dine in a German restaurant and sample their food? In Jasper, Indiana there is a German restaurant called the Schnitzelbank. I've been there only a few times, but I don't get down to Jasper much. Last week while grocery shopping, I found some spaetzle. Now what to do with it. I've never had it let alone know how to cook it or what to cook it with. I expected to find most recipes with bratwurst, pork or veal then with chicken. Oh and a lot of recipes made the spaetzle from scratch ...one thing at a time.

 Ingredients:

 3 1/2-4 lbs skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons butter
8 oz container of white mushrooms, quartered
1 small white onion, chopped
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons brandy, optional
1 1/2 cups red wine
1/2 cup chicken broth
Seasonings: in a cheesecloth add some parsley, thyme, bay leaf and 2 cloves (Bouquet Garni)
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Salt and pepper bothe sides of the chicken. Melt the butter in a skillet on med/high heat. Brown the chicken about 5-6 minutes on both sides. Set aside.

In the same skillet add the mushrooms, garlic and onions stir for 3 minutes. Sprinkle flour over mushroom mixture and stir an additional minute. Add the brandy and ignite. When the flames die down add the wine, chicken broth, seasonings, salt and pepper. Stir and reduce to simmer. Add the chicken back into the skillet, cover and cook about 20 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

While the chicken is cooking make the spaetzle according to the package instructions.

Remove the cover to reduce the liquid slightly. Remove the bouquet garni and serve with spaetzle. Yum Yum.

NOTE: If you are not flambéing with brandy the skip that part and go right for the wine. But if you are here are some flambéing tips:

Use an alcohol with a content of 80% proof . Less might not lite, more like 150% might combust!

Remove pan from burner when add the alcohol. This will prevent your bottle of brandy from exploding.

Heat the alcohol to the point when it begins to bubble before igniting

If the open flame is making you nervous. You can put it out by putting a lid on it or simply blowing it out. (I'd have a lid handy)

The best pan for flambéing is a flambé Stainless Steel pan.