here via a magical formula that combines humdrum ingredients into
something sublime. The only thing that might give you pause is
wrapping the chicken in plastic wrap and baking it in the oven. If
you don’t have heavy-duty restaurant-grade plastic wrap, use
aluminum foil. Either way, make sure to slice the chicken before
you serve it; it’ll look prettier than serving it whole.
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Mushroom stock (about 2 cups) and cooked mushrooms
(about 4 cups) from the Mushroom Stock recipe
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
A sprinkle of curry powder
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ cup heavy cream
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Fresh oregano leaves (optional, for garnish)
Preheat the oven to 325°F.
Trim the chicken breasts so they’re relatively oval-shaped.
Place the bits you trimmed off (about ½ cup of raw chicken) in the
food processor and pulverize. Add the ground chicken to a bowl
with the cooked mushrooms and stir together with salt, pepper,
and curry powder. To taste it, make a “spicy meatball”*.
For each chicken breast, lay a piece of restaurant-grade plastic
wrap (or foil) on the counter; it should be twice the size of the