Julia Child’s Supremes De Volaille Aux Champignons (Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce)
Considering how many posts in ChewingTheFat mention Julia Child, it was quite a shock to discover how few are accompanied by a recipe. A friend just sent me news of an incredible opportunity to experience Paris through Julia’s eyes. And that inspired me to pull out this truly wonderful recipe. And what a discovery it was! There are only 5 
steps to make this luxuriously creamy-rich dish, with its tender chicken breasts, mushrooms, and, of course, its essential Madeira cream sauce. It’s simply a matter of sautéing shallots and mushrooms in butter, baking the chicken with them, then removing the cooked breasts and making the sauce in the same pan. As Ina Garten would say “How Easy Is That?”
It’s been 75 years since Julia Child arrived in Paris and here’s how to celebrate.
A boutique Travel Agency called Art in Voyage has put together an incredibly luxurious six-day journey to Paris. What’s distinctive about this trip? Everything celebrates the Paris that excited Julia Childs so much that she created the most successful Cooking Books in American Publishing History. Since their publication in 1961, “Mastering The Art of French Cooking: Volumes I and II” have sold 1.5 million copies. And all because one woman fell madly in love with Paris and everything about it. Art in Voyage has put together an extraordinary itinerary called “Cook Nice” a 6-day adventure led by Chef Kevin Fongo whose career has included working with a pantheon of famous chefs: Susan Spicer, Emeril Lagasse, Bobby Flay, and Alan Susser. And what an adventure! From breakfast at Les Deux Magots to cooking class at Le Cordon Bleu, from café at Café Flor to dinner at Jules Verne in the Eiffel Tower. There’s a trip to Versailles with a picnic catered by Chef Gordon Ramsey’s team, a private cruise on the Seine and so much more…I’ll let my friend tell you every detail right after today’s recipe.
Julia Child’s Supremes De Volaille Aux Champignons (Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce) Published directly from “Mastering the Art of French Cooking” Volume 1
In just 5 steps, you can make this luxuriously creamy-rich dish, with its tender chicken breasts, mushrooms and, of course, its essential Madeira cream sauce.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (supremes)
- 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
- 1 pinch white pepper
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon minced shallots or 1 tablespoon green onion
- 1⁄4 lb sliced fresh mushrooms
- 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
- For the sauce:
- 1⁄4 cup white stock or 1/4 cup brown stock
- 1⁄4 1/4 cup madeira wine
- 1 cup whipping cream
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons freshly minced parsley
Directions
- Step 1 Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Step 2 Rub the chicken breasts with drops of lemon juice and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Heat the butter in a heavy, oven-proof casserole, about 10 inches in diameter until it is foaming. Stir in the minced shallots or green onion and saute for a moment without browning. Then stir in the mushrooms and saute lightly for a minute or two without browning. Sprinkle with salt.
- Step 3 Quickly roll the chicken in the butter mixture and lay a piece of buttered wax paper over them, cover the casserole, and place in the hot oven. After 12 minutes, press the top of the chicken with your finger. If still soft, return to the oven for a moment or two. When the meat is springy to the touch it is done.
- Step 4 Remove the chicken to a warm platter (leave mushrooms in the pot) and cover while making the sauce (2 to 3 minutes).
- Step 5 To make the sauce, pour the stock and wine into the casserole with the cooking butter and mushrooms. Boil down quickly over high heat until the liquid is syrupy. Stir in the cream and boil down again over high heat until the cream has thickened slightly. Off heat, taste for seasoning, and add drops of lemon juice to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.
And here’s everything you need to know about Art in Voyage’s Julia Child-Inspired Parisian Extravaganza
Cook Nice, is a luxurious six-day journey to Paris led by Chef Kevin Fongo
It will explore Julia’s favorite neighborhoods while introducing guests to the same sights, bites, sips, and aromas that first piqued her interest in French cuisine. Fonzo, a celebrated chef in his own right, offers guests a chefs-eye-view of Paris as he pays homage to Julia Child through this immersive trip, running September 3-8 2023.
After a private transfer from Charles de Gaulle…
to one of two luxury properties in Saint 
Germain des Pres, the journey begins with a private cruise along the Seine River. Guests will enjoy the sights and a glass of bubbles, followed by a traditional three-course dinner paired with French wines—just the way Julia liked it—at Chez Denise in Les Halles.
On day two,
guests spend the morning à la Julia: with breakfast at Les Deux Magots. Once a favorite meeting point for the who’s-who of writers and artists, Les Deux Magots remains one of Paris’s most popular cafés. From there, Chef Fonzo will take guests to Shakespeare & Company, a bookstore on the Left Bank where Julia often searched for books on French cooking. A stop at a typical Parisian market affords Chef Fonzo the opportunity to introduce the group to the fresh seasonal produce before heading to Le Cordon Bleu. Arguably one of the most important venues for Julia, Le Cordon Bleu is where she enrolled and spent six months learning everything she could about French cuisine. Guests will enjoy a lunch of their own making here, perhaps even a recipe Julia herself prepared during her schooling.
After a leisurely morning on day three,
Guests will regroup with Chef Fonzo in time for lunch at Café de Flore, where Julia and Paul once dined among the city’s celebrated artists. One of the oldest coffee houses on the charming Boulevard Saint Germain, Café de Flore remains a popular hangout for celebrities and travelers to this day. Then, Julia’s favorite dessert takes center stage as guests learn to prepare the French èclair under the tutelage of a local pastry chef. A sunset gathering at the Eiffel Tower is followed by a memorable dinner at the chic, Michelin-starred Jules Vernes.
Day four
begins with a trip to Versailles, where guests take a private tour through the grand estate and enjoy a picnic lunch in the park prepared by Chef Gordon Ramsey’s team at the neighboring Trianon Palace Hotel. Back in Paris, a cheesemaking workshop will enlighten guests about one of France’s—and Julia’s—favorite foods, followed by an epic, two-part dinner experience. The first stop is Le Verjus, located in the heart of the Palais Royal, then dessert at Julia’s favorite spot for sweet treats, Brasserie Lipp.
On the final full day in Paris,
Chef Fongo will lead a shopping trip through the markets followed by a cooking class and lunch. Free time that afternoon allows guests to enjoy some of the city’s best-kept secrets or get adventurous and explore the city via bike. The grand finale is dinner at Le Grand Véfour, an opulent historic spot dating back to the 1780s and more importantly, the site of Julia’s monthly romantic “rendezvous” with Paul—a fitting place to conclude the culinary journey and say “Bon Appetit.
All the Details and the link…Cook Nice
Cook Nice is offered from September 3-8, 2023, with a maximum group size of 10. Guests can choose from two host hotels in Paris: Pont Royal, where Julia first stayed in Paris, or Hotel d’Aubusson, a darling of St Germain des Pres, dating back to the 17th century. Pricing starts at $5,762 per person and includes hotel, most meals, classes, tastings, VIP tickets to Versailles, an Eiffel Tower visit, a Seine River cruise, private airport transfers, and transportation throughout Paris. Art in Voyage offers a three-night extension to Champagne following Paris, complete with luxury accommodations, excursions, and tastings. Chef Kevin Fonzo is a Certified Executive Chef with the American Culinary Foundation and a James Beard Award nominee.
And For those of us who just can’t get enough Julia Child, here’s a library of her posts on Chewing The Fat
https://chewingthefat.us.com/2012/08/meryl-streeps-favorite-julia-child.html
https://chewingthefat.us.com/2014/07/lazy-mans-bouillabaisse-with-lulu.html
https://chewingthefat.us.com/2020/09/panchos-argentinos-argentine-style-hot-dogs.html
https://chewingthefat.us.com/2019/12/french-butter-its-hard-to-beat-for-the-holidays.html
https://chewingthefat.us.com/2021/02/valentines-day-chicken-la-tulipe-la.html
