Poulet Chasseur: Chicken Worth Lingering Over (Continued)

Food · Economy · Food Culture
Recipe

Poulet Chasseur Recipe

Hunter’s Chicken with Mushrooms, Tomatoes and White Wine
Prep 15 minutesCook About 35 minutesTotal Less than an hour
Servings4

Ingredients

  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 12 ounces mushrooms, preferably crimini, shiitake or a mixture. Morels, optional, for a woodsy French hunter flavor
  • 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tablespoon tomato paste
  • ¼ cup cognac, optional
  • ½ cup dry white wine, preferably New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 cup chopped or crushed tomatoes, optional
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon, optional
  • Lemon zest or a little lemon juice
  • Optional sauce finishers
    • 1 tablespoon cold unsalted butter
    • ¼–½ cup heavy cream
    • 1–2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
    • A few drops to ¼ teaspoon Gravy Master
    • Reserved pasta water, if serving with pasta

Equipment

  • Large, heavy skillet with a lid
  • Tongs
  • Wooden spoon
  • Sharp paring knife
  • Instant-read thermometer
  • Fine-mesh strainer, if using flour
  • Butane kitchen torch, optional

Instructions

  1. Prepare and brown the chicken
    1. Pat the thighs completely dry and season both sides with salt and pepper. Place each thigh skin-side down on a cutting board and, working from the exposed flesh side, make a shallow cut about ½ inch deep along each side of the bone without cutting through the skin. This opens the thickest part of the thigh and helps the meat around the bone cook more evenly.
    2. Arrange the thighs skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet. Unless the chicken has very little visible fat, there is no need to add oil. Turn the heat to medium-high and, as soon as the chicken begins to sizzle, reduce the heat to medium.
    3. Let the thighs cook slowly for 12–16 minutes. Move them slightly after the first few minutes to make sure they haven’t stuck, but otherwise leave them alone long enough for the skin to brown and the fat to render. If the skin begins to darken too quickly, lower the heat.
    4. Turn the thighs and cook the flesh side for about 2 minutes, then transfer them to a plate. They will not yet be fully cooked.
  3. Brown the mushrooms and build the base
    1. Pour off all but about 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Add the mushrooms, spread them into an even layer and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until they release their moisture and begin to brown.
    2. Once the mushrooms have taken on some color, add the shallots and cook for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste and continue cooking for another minute, until the tomato paste darkens slightly and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan.
  5. Add the cognac
    1. Remove the skillet from the heat before adding the cognac. For the simple version, return the pan to low heat and let the cognac simmer for about a minute.
    2. To flame it, keep the skillet off the burner and carefully ignite the cognac with a long lighter or butane torch. Keep your face, hair and sleeves well back and let the flame die out on its own. Never pour cognac directly from the bottle into a hot skillet.
  7. Make the sauce and finish the chicken
    1. Pour in the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Let it simmer for 2–3 minutes, until it has reduced by about half.
    2. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf, stir everything together and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Taste and add more salt if needed.
    3. Return the thighs to the skillet skin-side up, along with any juices collected on the plate. The liquid should come partway up the sides of the chicken without covering the browned skin.
    4. Reduce the heat to low or medium-low, cover the skillet slightly ajar and let the chicken simmer gently. Begin checking the temperature after about 25 minutes. In my skillet, the thighs usually take about 30 minutes to reach 165°F.
    5. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of each thigh without touching the bone. Check every piece, since thighs from the same package often finish at different times, and remove each one as it reaches 165°F.
  9. Finish the sauce
    1. Transfer the chicken to a warm platter and remove the bay leaf. If the sauce seems thin, let it simmer uncovered for a few minutes before choosing the finish you want.
    2. For a light, glossy sauce, turn off the heat and swirl in 1 tablespoon of cold butter. For a richer sauce, stir in ¼ cup of heavy cream and let it simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, adding more cream if desired.
    3. To thicken with flour, place 1–2 teaspoons in a fine-mesh strainer and shake a light, even dusting over the simmering sauce while stirring. You can also dust it over the chicken while it finishes cooking. Let the sauce simmer for another 2–3 minutes so the flour cooks and the sauce thickens.
    4. If you’re serving pasta, reserve some pasta water before draining and stir it into the sauce a little at a time until the sauce becomes glossy and clings to the noodles. Add a little cream as well if you want a richer pasta sauce.
    5. For a darker brown sauce, stir in a few drops of Gravy Master after the sauce has reduced. About ¼ teaspoon is usually enough for a full skillet, so check the color and taste before adding more.
  11. Final seasoning
    1. Stir in the parsley and tarragon, then add a little lemon zest or lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper.
    2. Return the chicken to the skillet, or spoon the sauce around it on a platter, leaving some of the browned skin exposed.

Cook’s Notes

  • Mashed potatoes
  • Buttered noodles
  • Polenta
  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Crusty bread
  • Use a wine you would drink. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is especially good because its acidity keeps the sauce lively.
  • Crimini give the sauce better color and more flavor than white button mushrooms. Shiitake are always a good choice, while morels add a particularly woodsy French hunter flavor.
  • Don’t crowd the skillet. Brown the chicken in batches when necessary, keep the skin above the sauce while the thighs finish cooking and check every thigh with a thermometer rather than relying on the clock alone.
  • Add butter, cream, flour, pasta water and Gravy Master gradually, tasting as you go. Save the rendered chicken fat for roasting potatoes or vegetables, and use two skillets for larger quantities rather than crowding one.
  • Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for up to three days. Reheat them gently in a covered skillet over low heat, adding a little stock, water or pasta water if the sauce becomes too thick.
  • The flavor may be even better the next day, although the skin will lose some of its crispness.
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