Classic French Hunters Chicken (Print version)
Tender chicken braised in tomato-mushroom wine sauce, scented with thyme and parsley for a rustic French main.
# What you'll need:
→ Chicken
01 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lb total)
02 - 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken drumsticks (about 2 lb total)
→ Vegetables
03 - 1 large yellow onion, finely chopped (about 1½ cups)
04 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
05 - 9 oz white mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
06 - 14 oz canned diced tomatoes (1 standard can)
07 - 2 tablespoons tomato paste
→ Liquids and Fats
08 - ⅔ cup dry white wine
09 - ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon chicken stock
10 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
11 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Herbs and Seasonings
12 - 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
13 - 2 bay leaves
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
15 - Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
# Method:
01 - Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season both sides generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
02 - Heat the olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the butter foams. Place the chicken skin-side down and sear until deeply golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and set aside.
03 - In the same pan with the rendered drippings, add the chopped onion and sauté over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes until translucent. Add the minced garlic and sliced mushrooms, continuing to cook until the mushrooms are softened and lightly caramelized, about 4 to 5 minutes.
04 - Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen its flavor. Pour in the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine simmer and reduce for 2 minutes.
05 - Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, chicken stock, thyme leaves, and bay leaves. Nestle the seared chicken pieces back into the pan, skin-side up. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer.
06 - Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 30 minutes, allowing the chicken to braise and the flavors to meld together.
07 - Remove the lid and continue simmering uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes, until the sauce has thickened to a rich consistency and the chicken is cooked through to an internal temperature of 165°F.
08 - Discard the bay leaves. Sprinkle generously with chopped fresh parsley and serve immediately over mashed potatoes, alongside crusty bread, or with buttered noodles.
# Expert advice:
01 -
- The sauce builds layer after layer of flavor right in one pan, and every single bite tastes like it took far more effort than it actually did.
- It transforms basic weeknight ingredients into something that feels worthy of a long Sunday table with good friends and an open bottle of wine.
02 -
- Do not rush the searing step because that deep golden crust is where half the flavor lives, and once it is gone you cannot get it back.
- Letting the sauce reduce uncovered at the end transforms it from thin and watery to something velvety that coats the back of a spoon.
03 -
- Use a pan wide enough to fit all the chicken in a single layer so every piece gets equal time in the sauce and cooks evenly.
- Let the chicken come to room temperature for about twenty minutes before searing, and you will get a far more even, beautiful golden crust.