A little dramatic flair in the kitchen is always fun, so be sure to gather your dinner companions (just not too close) for the show while you place the finishing touches on this delicious chicken dish. Irish whiskey, cream and mushrooms combine to make a rich, flavorful sauce for boneless chicken breasts served atop buttered egg noodles or long grain rice.

Chicken Flambe with Irish Whiskey and Cream

Boneless chicken breasts topped with a sauce made from flamed Irish whiskey, cream and fresh mushrooms and served over egg noodles or long grain rice.

Author: Lynne Webb
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
2/3 cup Irish whiskey
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup parsley, chopped
Buttered egg noodles or long grain rice

Instructions

If your chicken breasts have tenderloins attached, remove them and reserve for another use. Place the breasts between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and gently pound them to a uniform thickness of 1/2-inch.
Combine the flour, salt and pepper and spread on a sheet of waxed paper. Dredge the chicken in the flour on both sides.
Melt the butter and olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, add the chicken and cook just until golden, 2-1/2 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm.
Reduce the heat on the pan to medium and add the onion and garlic. Sauté stirring often, until the onion is translucent, 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until any liquid the mushrooms give off has evaporated. Add the Worcestershire and cayenne and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Return the chicken to the pan and remove it from the heat. Pour the whiskey over top, return to the heat, stand back and ignite (see tips below). As soon as the flames subside, stir in the cream. Turn the chicken pieces several times to coat with the sauce. Finish with the chopped parsley and lemon juice.
To serve, plate a portion of egg noodles or rice, top with 2 pieces of chicken and spoon mushrooms and sauce over the top. Garnish with additional parsley if desired.

Notes

Flambé Tips:

For safety, always pour your liquor into a separate measuring cup rather than pouring straight from the bottle into a hot pan.
Use a long handled barbecue lighter or fireplace match to ignite the alcohol. Be sure to stand back, because the initial flames can flare up quite high. For this reason, you should also never flame alcohol under a running exhaust fan..
For best flavor, be ready to flame the alcohol as soon as it’s added to the pan and allow the flame to burn out (usually within seconds) on its own.
Don’t use liquor that is more than 60% alcohol by volume (120 proof) and make sure the liquor is room temperature, not chilled.

Chicken Flambe with Irish Whiskey and Cream