All content copyright Katrina Hall 2008 through 2025

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

earthy and delicious : Hunter's Chicken



The other day was cold and snowy, and I was wanting something filling and warm. Something with a little wine, would be nice, I thought. And chicken - not beef. Then I remembered the Chicken Chasseur I used to make in the restaurant and looked it up in Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cookbook. There it was, but as I read the ingredients, I was puzzled. The combination of braised chicken, wine, and herbs with mushrooms and tomatoes are also known as Hunter's Chicken - I had no idea the two recipes were the same. Whatever the name, this dish is just mouthwateringly tender, heady with herbs and wine, and has a wonderful complex, earthy flavor. It's also budget friendly - a big plus these days!
The recipe is an old classic, dating back to castles and hunting parties, and if you happened to be a bad shot, your birds could still be used in this casserole even if they were a little ragged. Luckily, I can just pop into the supermarket and pick up bone in chicken thighs.
To make:
You will need a heavy bottomed largeish saucepan.
4 chicken thighs, bone in, but skin pulled off
2 T. olive oil ( or unsalted butter)
salt and pepper
1 t. thyme
1/2 cup minced onions or 3 large shallots, minced
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine, or dry vermouth. If you don't use alcohol, you can use rice vinegar or herb vinegar
1/2 t. tarragon
2 T. chopped parsley
3/4 cup canned plum tomatoes, with juice, diced
Rinse and pat the chicken thighs dry. Heat the oil and sprinkle the thighs with the salt, pepper, and thyme, then place in pot and brown on all sides.
Add the shallots or onions, mushrooms, white wine or vermouth, tomatoes, and herbs. Cover the pot and simmer until the chicken is very tender - about 30 minutes. Stir and taste and add more salt or pepper if needed. This serves four.
Serve with rice , noodles, or potatoes.
Enjoy!

6 comments:

Sparkly Rock Girl said...

No mystery on the names - chasseur is French for hunter - so it's just a mishmash of French and English - logically it would be Poulet Chasseur but it's not...

Anonymous said...

That's right! I forgot that! Well, the dish is a delightful mishmash, too, but one that's mighty tasty. Thanks for the information, sparklyrockgirl!

Donna-FFW said...

This looks soo fabulous. I must print out and try it!! Just found your blog, lots of good stuff here. Im going to have to go through your archives!!

Anonymous said...

Hi Donna! Glad you liked, and glad you found me! Took a quick peek at your blog - it's terrific and I mean to read a little more tonight. Right now I've got 3 guys chipping away at ice on the roof and making an unholy racket.... thanks again for finding me and leaving a very nice comment!

Anonymous said...

This recipe looks great! I'm always looking for new ways to cook up some chicken.

Anonymous said...

Corey- you'll love this. It's , if anything, even better the next day: herby and rich and satisfying. Thanks so much for coming by to take a look!