Author Notes
This is a dish so regal it was once served on the luxurious Orient Express train. This—simplified—recipe reveals my lazy side: no making brown stock and veal stock as the originator, Philippe de Mornay (of Mornay sauce fame) would have us do. It’s a rich braise of mushrooms, chicken, and tomatoes, and though it tastes complex, it’s actually pretty simple to make and easy to increase quantities to cater for a crowd. —Katherine Knowles
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Ingredients
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8
chicken thighs
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1 tablespoon
olive oil
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1 tablespoon
butter
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4 cups
chestnut or button mushrooms
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3
shallots
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2
cloves of garlic
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1 teaspoon
tomato puree
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1 cup
chicken or veal stock
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1 cup
dry white wine
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1
14-ounce can diced tomatoes
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2
bay leaves
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2
thyme sprigs
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2 tablespoons
flat leaf parsley
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1/2 cup
cream
Directions
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Season the chicken thighs well with salt. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large pot (a Dutch oven is perfect for this) and brown the chicken, leaving it to sizzle for 3-4 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, clean and quarter the mushrooms, and dice the shallots.
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Add the shallots and mushrooms and saute until they start to take on some color. Add the minced garlic and the tomato puree to cook through (just a minute or so).
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Pour in the wine, scraping down the pan, then add the stock and diced tomatoes. Add the bay leaves and thyme. Season the dish with a couple of pinches of salt and a good grind of pepper, and let simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on, and a further 30 with the lid off, by which time the chicken should be tender and the sauce reduced to a thick gravy.
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To finish the dish, stir in the cream and let it simmer for a minute to bring the flavors together. Serve with a sprinkle of parsley (and maybe some mashed potatoes or bread, to soak up all the juices).
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