Chicken Thighs with Mushrooms, Lemon and Herbs

In a large sauté pan or skillet, melt two tablespoons of the butter in one tablespoon of the olive oil over medium heat.

Add shallots and cook for three minutes.

Increase heat to medium high, add one more tablespoon of butter and one more tablespoon of oil and add mushrooms.

Cook for five minutes then add lemon zest and juice.

Cook for about three minutes or until no liquid remains. Remove to a bowl and hold.

Lay out chicken on your cutting board. Mix salt, pepper, rosemary and garlic powder and sprinkle on both sides of chicken.

Heat same pan to medium high and add two more tablespoons of butter and the remaining oil.

Once hot, place chicken into hot fat and cook on one side for four minutes.

Turn chicken, lower heat to medium and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 6-8 minutes longer.

Remove chicken to a platter and pour off cooking fat and discard (there should be about two tablespoons of fat to discard). Cover the chicken platter loosely with foil and keep warm.

Place pan back over medium high heat and add vermouth to deglaze.

Stir to release brown bits from bottom and cook until almost all of the vermouth has evaporated then add the chicken stock and heat.

Once hot, add the mushroom mixture along with the parsley and cook for about two minutes until some of the stock cooks off and the mixture starts to thicken.

Remove from heat and stir in the last two tablespoons of butter to form a creamy sauce.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with additional lemon zest and chopped parsley.

Note: adding butter off the heat to thicken a sauce takes practice getting the texture just right before the butter goes in. If your sauce is too loose, you can mix a teaspoon of corn starch with a few drops of water and use it to thicken the sauce over heat.