Maison Ardoise · Main dishes

Braised Chicken in White Wine with Mushrooms & Tarragon Cream

Name: Braised Chicken in White Wine with Mushrooms & Tarragon Cream
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 8 whole Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs; 1.5 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 1 tbsp Olive oil; 20 g Unsalted butter; 3 whole Shallots; 2 clove Garlic; 300 g Cremini mushrooms; 250 ml Dry white wine; 150 ml Low-sodium chicken stock; 150 ml Crème fraîche or heavy cream (35%); 1 tsp Dijon mustard; 10 g Fresh tarragon; 0.5 whole Lemon

Golden, crisp-skinned chicken thighs gently braised in dry white wine with shallots and mushrooms, then finished with crème fraîche and fresh tarragon for a silky, aniseed-scented sauce. Bistro comfort in one pan.

70 minutes · Easy · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs8 whole
Salt1.5 tsp
Black pepper0.5 tsp
Olive oil1 tbsp
Unsalted butter20 g
Shallots3 whole
Garlic2 clove
Cremini mushrooms300 g
Dry white wine250 ml
Low-sodium chicken stock150 ml
Crème fraîche or heavy cream (35%)150 ml
Dijon mustard1 tsp
Fresh tarragon10 g
Lemon0.5 whole

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Milk (butter, crème fraîche), mustard and sulphites (wine).

Method

Brown the chicken

Pat the thighs very dry and season with 1 tsp salt and the pepper. Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid over medium heat. Lay the thighs in skin side down and cook without moving for 10–12 minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp. Turn and cook for 2 minutes, then move to a plate. Wash your hands after handling the raw chicken.

Cook the mushrooms and shallots

Pour off all but 1 tbsp of fat. Add the butter, the sliced shallots and the quartered mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat for 6–8 minutes, until the mushrooms are browned. Add the sliced garlic for 1 minute.

Braise until safe

Pour in the wine and scrape up the browned bits, then simmer for 3 minutes. Add the stock and remaining salt. Return the chicken skin side up, so the skin stays above the liquid, and simmer gently, partly covered, for 25–30 minutes, until the thickest thigh reads at least 74°C (165°F) near the bone on an instant-read thermometer.

Finish the sauce

Move the chicken to a warm platter. Whisk the crème fraîche and mustard into the pan and simmer for 3–4 minutes, until lightly thickened. Stir in most of the chopped tarragon and a squeeze of lemon, then taste for salt.

Serve

Spoon the sauce and mushrooms around (not over) the chicken to keep the skin crisp, scatter with the last of the tarragon and serve with boiled potatoes, rice or crusty bread.

If you cannot find tarragon, use a mix of chives and parsley with a tiny pinch of fennel seed. Thighs stay juicy well past 74°C, so they are very forgiving.

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