Chicken in morel cream sauce

I think this is one of the most delicious recipes ever. I can't believe it has taken me so long to get it posted, but now is a great time because morel season is getting into swing.

If you've never tried a morel, you're really missing out. They are such great mushrooms, and pretty easy to find in this part of Indiana, whether you're a picker or just a buyer.

I actually prefer to get them dried, as dried mushrooms -- in my opinion, and I'm sure this point could be argued -- are more flavorful. Unfortunately, morels are really expensive mushrooms, but you don't need many for a four-person meal.

Dieters, beware!

Chicken breast in morel cream sauce (serves 4)

about 20 medium dried morels (1 ounce)

4 chicken breasts

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup Port (the cheapest kind you can find, for cooking)

1/2 cup water

1 tablespoon beef bouillon

1/2 pint heavy cream

juice of 1/2 large lemon

salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1.) Fry the chicken in butter in a large pan over medium heat until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes a side. Transfer the chicken to a large skillet or pot.

2.) Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for about 10 minutes to make them workable, then cut the larger ones in half, and rinse them to make sure there's no dirt in the stems. Put the shrooms in a small saucepan and cover with water and about 1 teaspoon butter. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil.

2.) In the pan and butter you used to cook the chicken, put the port, water, and bouillon. Whisk it, then add half of the squeezed lemon. Sprinkle the rest of the lemon over the chicken.

3.) Whisk the heavy cream into the port/broth mixture.

4.) In a small cup, stir the cornstarch with a couple tablespoons of water. Pour that in with the mushrooms. Let it boil and thicken for a while.

5.) Add the mushroom mixture to the port/broth mixture, and let it all thicken some more together. You want this to get extra thick because it will thin out a little bit with the chicken.

6.) Return the chicken to the sauce and boil gently about 3 minutes, until the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

7.) Serve with a vegetable, salad, and rice or crusty bread to soak up the sauce. You will want to!

Coming up soon: Creamy onion salad dressing, a family favorite.