Chicken Stroganoff - 5/13/11

This is how I prepared it last night.  Next time, I plan on reducing the amount of chicken to 1 1/2 pounds, using boneless chicken thighs instead of breasts, and skipping the flour dredging step.  Having said that, this version is delicious as is:

2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips

Lemon pepper and garlic salt for seasoning the raw chicken

Flour, for dredging

Kosher salt, black pepper, paprika, and dried dillweed for seasoning the flour

Canola oil, as needed to sauté chicken

Butter, as needed to sauté vegetables

1 very large onion, chopped

4 cloves chopped garlic

2- 10 ounce boxes mushrooms, sliced

2- 10 ½ ounce can cream of mushroom soup

1-14.5 oz. can quartered artichoke hearts, well drained

2-4 oz. cans fire roasted green chilies (Ortega brand, drained)

1 pint sour cream, well stirred

¼ cup extra dry vermouth or dry sherry

Lemon peel, grated (from half of a large lemon)

¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons dried dillweed

Season the chicken strips with lemon pepper and garlic salt.  Set aside while you chop the onions and prepare the rest of the ingredients.  Place some flour in a plastic Ziploc bag.  Season the flour with the salt, pepper, paprika and dillweed.  Heat some canola oil in a large skillet.  Place a third of the chicken strips into the bag with the flour, and shake to coat the strips.  Saute the chicken strips until light golden brown, then remove to a dish large enough to hold them in one layer.  Repeat with the remaining two thirds of the chicken, and set it aside while you prepare the sauce.

Saute the onions, garlic, and mushrooms in butter in a clean skillet till soft.  Let the liquid reduce to about one-half, but do not allow to evaporate.  Stir in the undiluted mushroom soup and bring to a boil.  Stir in the artichoke hearts and the green chilies.  Reduce heat and stir in the sour cream, vermouth, parsley, lemon peel, dillweed and the cooked chicken.  Cook, stirring gently but constantly, until heated through.  Once the sour cream is added, do not let boil.  Season to taste.  Serve over cooked egg noodles.

If the sauce needs to be thinned out a bit, you can use more of the vermouth and/or chicken stock and/or half and half.