I am a Canadian of British heritage, so my stomach can’t tolerate most Cajun dishes, but my mind insists that I try.  Much to my dismay while visiting New Orleans twice in my life, I have found that “hot” spices do not make a dish tastier to my palate; they, in fact, make it intolerable. But the recipe’s are so good otherwise. The solution? A milder version. This creamy recipe uses fresh shrimp and beaten chicken to guarantee the flavor, but I succumbed to the heritage of such dishes and added a dash of Paprika and Cayenne pepper. It does elevate the dish, but for the faint of heart, it is also very, very digestible.

INGREDIENTS

2 chicken breasts, cut in half horizontally
1 and 1/2 tsp oil
1 tbsp butter
1/2 lb raw shrimp
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 tspn butter
1 large tomato, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup wine
3 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup half and half cream
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/3 tspn salt
1/8 tspn pepper

METHOD

1. Cut both chicken breasts in half lengthwise. Beat chicken until about 1/4″ in thickness
2. Season both sides of the chicken breast with salt and pepper to taste. In a large skillet on med/high heat, add oil. Once hot, add chicken. Saute chicken until fully cooked an browned (3-4 min per side)
3. Remove the chicken from the skillet, add 1 tbsp butter and shrimp to skillet. Cook for about 2-3 minutes per side, or until shrimp is cooked. Remove from skillet.
4. In the same skillet, sute the onions with 2 tbsp butter for about 3 minutes, stirring as needed until onions are tender.
5. Add the tomatoes, minced garlic, wine and cook for anothr 5 minutes.
6. Add the broth, heavy whipping cream, half and half, and the seasonings. Stir and simmer 2-3 mintues, until the sauce starts to thicken.
7. Add the chicken and shrimp back to pan. Cook until chicken and shrimp are reheated.
8. Serve with crusty bread for dipping into the sauce

This and other recipes occasionally pop up in the Artichoke Hart series (available here), or the London Cartwright series (available here). Both chefs are fictional… the dishes are not.