Italian Chicken Chardonnay -- The Wedding Dinner I Made in My White Dress

The wedding. Saturday, July 18, 2020. Backyard of the College Park townhouse. Twelve people. One strip of white fabric on the grass. A pandemic. A promise.

Curtis walked me down the aisle. Slowly — his cane in one hand, my arm in the other, each step deliberate and certain in the way that Curtis does everything. He was wearing his good suit, the one Mama picked out in 2008, the one he only wears to funerals and weddings. He whispered, halfway down the fabric, "This one's a good one." The same words from the same man in the same suit. The words he said when I married Terrell, except this time the words are true. This time, the man at the end of the aisle washes dishes and brings coffee and cried when his son called a woman Mom T. This one's a good one.

Derek stood at the end of the fabric in the dry-cleaned chicken-marsala suit and his eyes were wet and his hands were steady and he was the calmest person in the backyard because Derek Washington is always the calmest person in any room and today the room was a backyard and the calm was love. Pastor Williams officiated. He said the words. I said my vows — the ones about the meal and the kitchen and the man who listens. Derek said his — about patience and presence and the woman who showed him that a table can hold anything if you set it right. We said "I do." We kissed. The children cheered. Andre, on FaceTime, screamed (he learned from Vanessa). Miss Ernestine, on FaceTime from the facility, said, "About time." Curtis said nothing. He nodded. The nod.

I made my own wedding dinner. After the ceremony. In my kitchen. Still in my white dress, with an apron over it, because I am Tamika Denise Washington and I cook at my own wedding and nobody — nobody — was going to stop me. Derek stood beside me. He couldn't help (the man can't cook, the man will never cook, the man brings coffee and that is enough). He stood beside me and he was my husband and I was his wife and the kitchen smelled like garlic and the future smelled like home.

I knew before the ceremony what I was making. I’d known for weeks. Something with garlic — it had to smell like garlic, because garlic means home, and this was the first dinner of the rest of my home. The Chardonnay was for the occasion and the occasion was everything, and standing at that stove with Derek beside me and rice simmering and the sauce going golden in the pan, my white dress tucked under Mama’s apron, I felt more like a bride than I had at any moment outside. This is the recipe. The one from that night. The one that still smells, to me, like the future.

Italian Chicken Chardonnay

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 oz each)
• 1 cup Chardonnay (or other dry white wine)
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 cup cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
• Salt and black pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for garnish

Instructions

1. Season the chicken. Pat chicken breasts dry with paper towels. Season both sides generously with salt, black pepper, and Italian seasoning.
2. Brown the chicken. Heat olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sear 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown. Transfer to a plate and set aside (chicken will not be fully cooked yet).
3. Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. In the same skillet, add onion and cook 3 minutes until softened. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more, stirring constantly, until fragrant.
4. Add the mushrooms. Stir in sliced mushrooms and cook 3–4 minutes until they release their moisture and begin to brown at the edges.
5. Deglaze with Chardonnay. Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer 2 minutes to cook off the alcohol slightly.
6. Add tomatoes and herbs. Stir in diced tomatoes, dried basil, oregano, and red pepper flakes if using. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Return the chicken. Nestle the seared chicken breasts back into the pan, spooning sauce over the top. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer 18–20 minutes until chicken is cooked through and registers 165°F internally.
8. Finish and serve. Transfer chicken to plates or a serving platter. Spoon sauce generously over each piece. Top with grated Parmesan and a scatter of fresh parsley. Serve over rice, pasta, or with crusty bread to catch every drop of that sauce.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 10g | Carbs: 9g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 430mg