Chicken Chasseur
Quick answer
Chicken chasseur is a French braised chicken dish where thighs are seared skin-side down until the skin renders crispy and golden, then set aside while button mushrooms...
What makes this special
- White wine deglazes the fond from seared chicken thighs before shallots and mushrooms braise the dish together.
- Mushrooms and shallots deglaze the same pan where chicken was seared
- White wine deglazed then simmered 25 minutes with tomato puree and stock
Key ingredients
Core cooking flow
- 1 Pat 800 g chicken thighs dry, then season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
- 2 Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat.
- 3 Melt 20 g butter in the same pan, then add the shallots, garlic, and 250 g s...
Chicken chasseur is a French braised chicken dish where thighs are seared skin-side down until the skin renders crispy and golden, then set aside while button mushrooms, shallots, and garlic are sauteed in the same pan with butter. White wine goes in next to deglaze the fond left on the bottom of the pan, and after the wine reduces by half, tomato puree, chicken stock, and fresh thyme sprigs go in before the seared chicken returns to the pot for a covered braise of twenty-five minutes. The initial searing step is not optional from a flavor standpoint, because the caramelized residue left on the pan, the fond, is the primary source of the sauce's roasted depth. Rushing the sear causes the skin to stick and tear, and results in a paler, thinner-tasting sauce. Mushrooms need to be spread out in a single layer in a hot, wide pan so they brown before their moisture escapes, since crowding them generates steam that leaves them pale and soft rather than giving them the earthy intensity the dish depends on. As the wine reduces, its acidity concentrates and sharpens, which is what makes the sauce bright enough to balance the richness of the braised chicken. Tomato puree adds a quiet, rounded sweetness and deepens the red color of the sauce, while thyme brings an herbal warmth that accumulates slowly over the course of the braise. Removing the lid for the final five minutes allows the sauce to thicken to the right consistency. Mashed potatoes or crusty bread served alongside catch every bit of the sauce.
Instructions
Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.
- 1Season
Pat 800 g chicken thighs dry, then season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
Let them stand for about 5 minutes so the surface dries further and the skin browns instead of steaming.
- 2Control
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a wide pan over medium-high heat.
Place the chicken skin-side down and sear for 4-5 minutes without moving it until the skin turns golden and releases cleanly, then set it aside.
- 3Control
Melt 20 g butter in the same pan, then add the shallots, garlic, and 250 g sliced button mushrooms in a loose layer.
Cook over medium heat until the mushroom moisture evaporates and the edges begin to brown.
- 4Control
Pour in 120 ml dry white wine and scrape the browned fond from the bottom of the pan.
Once it bubbles, simmer for 2-3 minutes until the wine reduces by about half and smells less sharp.
- 5Control
Stir in 200 g tomato puree, 250 ml chicken stock, and thyme, then return the chicken with the skin facing up.
Cover and simmer over low heat for 25 minutes, keeping the liquid at a gentle bubble so the meat stays tender.
- 6Finish
Remove the lid and simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes until the sauce slowly coats a spoon.
Adjust with salt and pepper, scatter over chopped parsley, and serve warm with mashed potatoes or a baguette.
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