A quick and easy skillet meal with tender chicken scampi over perfectly cooked buttery, garlic parmesan rice.
Scampi, which is actually the Italian plural of scampo, are very small lobsters also called Dublin Bay Prawns or Norway Lobster found in the Mediterranean and northeastern Atlantic from North Africa to Norway and Iceland.
Scampi were most often prepared in Italy by sautéing them with olive oil, garlic and white wine. Italian immigrants in America substituted shrimp in place of the scampi but kept the “scampi” name and cooking method which morphed over the years into the common menu item we’re familiar with: shrimp scampi.
Scampi, which is actually the Italian plural of scampo, are very small lobsters also called Dublin Bay Prawns or Norway Lobster found in the Mediterranean and northeastern Atlantic from North Africa to Norway and Iceland.
Scampi were most often prepared in Italy by sautéing them with olive oil, garlic and white wine. Italian immigrants in America substituted shrimp in place of the scampi but kept the “scampi” name and cooking method which morphed over the years into the common menu item we’re familiar with: shrimp scampi.
You’ll Need:
- 1 lb. chicken tenderloins
- Salt and pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic*
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice
- 3 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
Instructions:
- Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste and garlic powder. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Sauté chicken tenderloins until nicely browned and just cooked through. Remove chicken from skillet, cover chicken then set aside.
- Add butter, garlic, pepper flakes and 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the skillet then sauté garlic for 3 minutes (do not let the garlic burn or become too brown).
- Increase skillet temperature to medium-high then add white wine. Stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to emulsify the wine into the butter. Cook and stir for approximately 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced by half. Remove and set aside 2 tablespoons of pan sauce to use later.
- Add rice to skillet with remaining butter sauce then stir and cook for 3-4 minutes or until rice starts to brown just a little. Add chicken broth and remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Bring mixture to a low boil then reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan then cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir once or twice the first 15 minutes of cooking but not more than that.
- Sprinkle parmesan over rice then arrange chicken tenders in skillet over rice. Drizzle reserved 2 tablespoons of pan sauce over chicken tenders. Cover, remove from heat then let stand for 5 minutes. Garnish dish with more parmesan and chopped fresh parsley if desired.
NOTES:
- Definitely use FRESH minced garlic in this recipe. The stuff in the jar just isn’t the same.
- I really don’t think you should substitute anything for the white wine but if you must, combine 1 tablespoon lemon juice with additional chicken broth to measure 1/2 cup.
- Feel free to use shrimp instead of chicken!
- Since folks often ask, I don’t use any particular brand or variety of wine. I most often use chardonnay because that’s what I tend to have but pinot grigio and sauvignon blanc are great too.
- Don’t use a “cooking wine” (the saying that you shouldn’t cook with wine that’s not good enough to drink is great advice) but you don’t need to break the bank either. I usually spend about 10 bucks a bottle for the wine I keep around. If you don’t drink wine, consider buying a 4-pack of mini bottles (save the remaining bottles for future recipes or give them away to friends).
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