Chicken and Mushroom Julienne

Julienne is a classic baked dish served in small cocotte dishes. It is made with chicken, mushrooms, and a creamy sauce, then topped with cheese and baked until golden and bubbly. Despite its French-sounding name, this dish is actually a staple of Russian home cooking and is especially popular for festive occasions 

Ingredients

• 500 g mushrooms (I used champignons)

• 2 chicken breasts

• 1 large onion

• 100 g grated marble cheese 

• salt and pepper

• vegetable and butter for frying

For the sauce

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp flour

• 1.5 cups cream of any fat content (240 ml)

• salt, pepper, nutmeg

Steps

1. Season chicken breasts with salt and pepper and bake or pan-fry until fully cooked

2. While the chicken is cooking, dice the onion and slice the mushrooms

3. Sauté the onion in vegetable oil until translucent

4. Add mushrooms and 1 tbsp butter, cook until golden

5. Cut cooked chicken into cubes, add to the pan, season, and mix

Sauce

6. Melt butter in a saucepan

7. Add flour and gradually pour in the cream, whisking constantly

8. Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and cook until slightly thickened (~3 minutes)

9. Divide the filling into cocotte dishes or baking ramekins

10. Pour over the sauce and top with grated cheese

11. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C (350°F) for 15 minutes