Ghostly Gala Poached Chicken (Printable)

Tender poached chicken with creamy cauliflower purée and sautéed mushrooms, accented by cracked black pepper for an elegant touch.

# What You Need:

→ Protein

01 - 4 small boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5.3 oz each)
02 - 1 teaspoon salt

→ Vegetables

03 - 1 medium head cauliflower, cut into florets (about 24.7 oz)
04 - 8.8 oz white button mushrooms, sliced
05 - 1 small white onion, finely chopped
06 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Dairy

07 - 120 ml heavy cream
08 - 30 g unsalted butter (about 2 tablespoons)
09 - 30 g cream cheese (about 2 tablespoons)

→ Pantry

10 - 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
11 - 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
12 - 500 ml low-sodium chicken broth
13 - Salt, to taste

# Directions:

01 - In a medium saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a gentle simmer and add 1 teaspoon salt. Add chicken breasts, cover, and poach on low heat for 12 to 15 minutes until just cooked through. Remove chicken from broth, loosely cover with foil, and set aside.
02 - Combine cauliflower florets and enough water to cover in a large pot, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a boil. Cook until very tender, about 10 to 12 minutes. Drain well, then transfer to a blender or food processor. Add heavy cream, butter, and cream cheese. Blend until silky smooth and season with salt to taste. Keep warm.
03 - Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; sauté until mushrooms are soft and lightly golden but still pale, about 5 to 6 minutes. Season lightly with salt.
04 - Spoon a generous mound of cauliflower purée onto each plate. Place one poached chicken breast on top and scatter the sautéed mushrooms artfully around the chicken. Finish with a dramatic sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper around (not on) the food to create shadows.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The whole dish comes together in under an hour, yet tastes like you've been fussing in the kitchen all day.
  • There's something mesmerizing about a plate that's monochromatic—it makes you slow down and actually taste each element instead of rushing through.
  • It's naturally gluten-free without any sacrifice or substitution guilt, which means everyone at the table eats the same beautiful thing.
02 -
  • If your cauliflower purée breaks or looks grainy, you added cream when it was too hot; let it cool slightly before blending or start over with room-temperature cream.
  • The moment mushrooms start browning too aggressively, they'll taste like burnt rubber—watch them closely and pull them off heat when they're just pale gold with soft edges.
  • Don't skip draining the cauliflower thoroughly or your purée becomes soup, which will pool around your plate like a puddle instead of cradling the chicken.
03 -
  • Make the cauliflower purée first and keep it warm in a low oven; it holds beautifully and frees you to focus entirely on timing the chicken and mushrooms.
  • If you're cooking for guests, plate everything except the pepper about a minute before serving, then add the dramatic pepper finish just as you're carrying plates to the table so it stays dark and crisp instead of fading.
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