Chicken Modiga Recipe

This Chicken Modiga recipe features chicken, mushrooms, lemon, wine, and melted cheese for a creamy, delicious, easy weeknight dinner.

Intro

You have never had Chicken Modiga, dear me, you are going to have a very comfortable surprise. It is as though your Italian auntie would thrust this plate in front of you on a cold night and tell you Eat, eat, eat, I know you were hungry since breakfast. It’s rich. 

It’s buttery. It’s comforting. It is highly flavoured in such a way that is dramatic, but to be honest,t it is prepared in a pretty simple way.

The initial experience when I got to eat Chicken Modiga, I was puzzled as to why we were not communicating about the food on a day-to-day basis. 

It is the perfect blend of tender chicken, sticky cheese, granny broth, wine, mushrooms, and the kind of sauce that makes one drag a bit of the bread through the plate. The smell in the kitchen? Heavenly. Like-I-might-cry heavenly.

It is the recipe wherein I adore: straightforward directions, excellent foods and flavours which, to my belief, ought to be in a fine restaurant- yet to be depicted in the simple home kitchen.

Let’s dive in.

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What is Chicken Modiga?

Chicken Modiga is one of the Italian-American St. Louis chicken dishes, a favourite that has been famousized by the Italian restaurants, but has mostly become famous because of its snickering buttery wine-kissing sauce. It would be the child of the comfort food and fancy restaurant food.

Usually, it’s made with:

• Breadless cutlets of chicken.
  
• Lemon-white wine butter sauce.
  
• Mushrooms
  
• Provel cheese 
• Chicken broth
  
• Sprinkling breadcrumbs (not compulsory).
  

It is savoury and creamy, tangy in a way, and it is just ridiculous how good it is. Even though you might not have Provel chees,e you can use the mixture of cheeses to create the same effect (and I will show you).

The best part?
This is because Chicken Modiga is very classy, but it is also very simple to make, and any person can make it- even a non-cook.

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The Narration of my Discovery of this.

One of the visits to St. Louis on the weekend with a friend who is a chef exposed me to Chicken Modiga. She had insisted that I be allowed to take it in a small Italian-American restaurant, which she liked a lot. 

My remembrance of the first bite that I took is that it arrested me as I was half the way through the conversation, as: Wait, what is this magic?

The sauce and the cheese and the blandness of the chicken–it was a luxurious feeling. I came home and decided to repeat it in my kitchen, and when I had done 2 batches and had to adjust the sauce a little because I am so dramatic when it comes to sauce, it became my standard-bearer.

Scarcity of length and brevity–but of impression? Everlasting.

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Equipment List

It will not be demanding in terms of tools, and all that will be needed to facilitate the process is as follows:

• A cutting board
  
• A sharp chef’s knife
  
• A skillet bottom (or a meat mallet)
  
• 1–2 large sauté pans
  
• Shallow bowls for dredging
  
• Tongs
  
• Spoon/silicone spatula made of wood.
  
• Baking dish (in case of broiling the cheese)
  
• Measuring cups & spoons
  

Nothing fancy. Chicken Modiga is a proponent of simplicity.

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Ingredients For Chicken Modiga Recipe

For the Chicken

• 4 flattened and pounded chicken breasts.
  
• 1 cup of bread crumbs (plain/ Italian)
  
• ½ cup grated parmesan
  
• 1 tsp garlic powder
  
• 1 tsp onion powder
  
• Salt and pepper
  
• 2 tbsp butter
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
  
• 1 small onion, chopped
  
• 2–3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
  
• 1 ¼ cup chicken broth
  
• ½ cup dry white wine
  
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
  
• 1 tbsp flour (to make the sauce thicker)
  
• 1/2 cup heavy thick cream (not necessary but wonderful)
  
• Salt and pepper
  

For the Cheese Topping

• 1 cup Provel cheese (or any of the following combinations: 1/2 mozzarella and 1/4 provolone, and 1/4 Swiss)
  
• Extra parmesan for finish
  

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Instructions For Chicken Modiga Recipe

1. Prepare the Chicken

• Freeze-butterfly the chicken breasts and pound out to a thinness without being too thin.
  
• Add the breadcrumbs, parmesan, powdered garlic, powdered onion, salt and pepper in a shallow pan.
  
• Pat the chicken with the coating, pressing it into the chicken so that the coating sticks.
  

2. Pan-Fry the Cutlets

• In a pan, add butter and olive oil and heat it on medium heat.
  
• Place the chicken in the pan and cook until it becomes golden on both sides (34 minutes each).
  
• Set aside on a plate.
  

3. Start the Sauce

• Add butter to the same pan and saute the onions until they become tender.
  
• Add some mushrooms and cook until caramelised.
  
• Add the garlic and cook separately for 30 seconds.
  

4. Deglaze

• Put the white wine and boil it.
  
• Warm up the brown stuff (nothing like your cooking ace).
  
• Put lemon juice and chicken broth.
  
• Stir in flour in case one wants a thicker sauce.
  
• Simmer 5 minutes.
  

5. Added Cream (Added, but changing life)

• Add the heavy cream and stir.
  
• Taste and adjust seasoning.
  

6. Combine

• Return the chicken to the pan.
  
• Spoon sauce over each piece.
  
• Top with the cheese mixture.
  

7. Melt the Cheese

You can either:

• Place the pan in the oven at a low temperature to melt the cheese.
  or
  
• Grill 23 minutes to blistering gold.
  

8. Serve

• Later, pour more sauce over the chicken.
  
• Add more parmesan.
  
• Parsley (you feel fancy).
  
• Eat now.
  

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Extra Section: Understanding the Flavour Profile.

At the restaurant level, Chicken Modiga is Italian comfort food.

Breakdown

• Tasty: chicken broth and mushrooms.
  
• Fruity: cheese + cream
  
• Tangy: lemon + wine
  
• Buttery: butter love
  
• Herby: basil/parsley (optional).
  
• Cheesy: creamy, melty, yummy.
  

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Substitutes and Replacements.

No White Wine?

• Additional chicken stock + 1 tsp apple cider vinegar.
  

No Mushrooms?

• Omit or substitute with shallots.
  

No Provel Cheese?

Use:

• ½ mozzarella
  
• ¼ provolone
  
• ¼ Swiss
  

Want It Extra Golden?

• Broil for 2 minutes at the end.
  

Want It Spicier?

• Add red pepper flakes.
  

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Alternative Side: What to Eat with Chicken Modiga.

This dish LOVES good sides:

• Creamed mashed potatoes made with garlic.
  
• Buttered angel hair pasta
  
• Roasted asparagus
  
• Crusty bread
  
• A light side salad
  
• Sautéed spinach with garlic
  

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Storage and Reheating.

To Store

Keep refrigerated in an air-tight container for not more than 3 days.

To Freeze

• Freeze chicken without sauce (sauce may be divided).
  
• Fresh sauce must be warmed separately.
  

To Reheat

• Cook gradually in a covered pan with a drop of broth.
  

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Extra Section: The advice of a Chef.

• Do not miss deglazing.
  
• By squeezing the chicken, one can have even cooking.
  
• Use fresh cheeses (do not use pre-shredded).
  
• Freshening of richness by lemon juice.
  
• Simmer the sauce.
  

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Final Thoughts

The kind of food that will make your weekday dinner homely, warm and somewhat romantic (unless you do not like that sort of thing) is Chicken Modiga Recipe. It is not dainty, delicious, luxurious and friendly, and, to be honest, it is one of my favourite chicken recipes ever.

Having tried it, you will see why it is so popular with the people of St. Louis–and why I was disarmed by it the very first mouthful.

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