Chef John's Chicken and Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 2 chickens breast halves , boneless, skin-on
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms , sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 1 pinch salt
• 0.5 cups water
• 1 tablespoon butter
• salt and ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. 1

   Gather all ingredients.

2. 2

   Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3. 3

   Season chicken on all sides with salt and ground black pepper.

4. 4

   Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in an ovenproof skillet. Place chicken skin-side down in skillet and cook until browned, about 5 minutes.

5. 5

   Turn chicken over; stir mushrooms with a pinch of salt into skillet. Increase heat to high; cook, stirring mushrooms occasionally, until mushrooms shrink slightly, about 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Transfer skillet to the preheated oven and cook until chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Transfer chicken breasts to a plate and loosely tent with foil; set aside.

7. 7

   Set skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat; cook and stir mushrooms until brown bits start to form on the bottom of the pan, about 5 minutes. Pour water into the skillet, and bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits off of the bottom of the pan. Cook until water is reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.

8. 8

   Stir in any accumulated juices from the chicken into the skillet. Stir butter into mushroom mixture, stirring constantly until butter is completely melted and incorporated.

9. 9

   Season with salt and pepper. Spoon mushroom sauce over chicken and serve.