Chicken Chasseur with Wild Mushrooms and Tarragon

⏱ 70 min · Serves 4

The French bistro classic, done properly: golden bone-in chicken thighs braised with wild mushrooms, shallots, white wine and brandy, finished with cream and a generous flurry of fresh tarragon. Deeply savoury, faintly aniseed, and made for mopping up with bread or buttery mash.

Per serving: 712 kcal · 48.0g protein · 12.0g carbs · 48.0g fat

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 1.2kg)
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp plain flour, for dusting
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 30g unarrowed butter (or plain unsalted butter)
• 4 banana shallots, finely sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 300g mixed wild mushrooms (girolles, trompettes, oyster), torn into pieces
• 150g chestnut mushrooms, quartered
• 3 tbsp brandy or Cognac
• 200ml dry white wine
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 300ml good chicken stock
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 100ml double cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 20g fresh tarragon, leaves picked and roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• Squeeze of lemon juice

Method

1. Pat the chicken thighs very dry, season generously all over and dust the skin lightly with the flour, shaking off excess.
2. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the thighs skin-side down for 6–8 minutes until deep golden, then 2 minutes on the flesh side. Work in two batches so they don't steam. Transfer to a plate.
3. Pour off all but about 1 tbsp of fat. Add the butter, then the shallots, and cook gently for 5 minutes until soft and sweet. Add the garlic for 1 minute more.
4. Turn the heat up, add all the mushrooms and a pinch of salt, and fry hard for 5–6 minutes until they've released their liquid and started to colour.
5. Pour in the brandy and let it bubble away almost completely, scraping the base of the pan. Add the white wine and reduce by half.
6. Stir in the tomato purée, then the stock, thyme and bay. Return the chicken skin-side up along with any resting juices — the liquid should come about two-thirds up the thighs, leaving the skin proud.
7. Simmer uncovered, or with the lid ajar, over low heat for 30–35 minutes until the chicken is tender and the sauce has reduced and glossed.
8. Lift the chicken onto a warm plate. Fish out the thyme and bay. Stir the cream and Dijon into the sauce and simmer 3–4 minutes until it coats a spoon.
9. Off the heat, stir in most of the tarragon and the parsley, a squeeze of lemon, and taste for salt and pepper. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon over the sauce and scatter with the remaining tarragon.
10. Serve with buttery mashed potatoes or crusty bread and a green salad.