Coq au Vin Jaune with Wild Mushrooms & Crème Fraîche

⏱ 105 min · Serves 4

The Jura's golden cousin to Burgundy's classic: chicken braised in nutty, sherry-like vin jaune with a tangle of wild mushrooms, finished with crème fraîche until the sauce turns silky and faintly savoury-sweet. Serve with buttered noodles or rice and a glass of the same wine.

Per serving: 762 kcal · 56.0g protein · 11.0g carbs · 51.0g fat

Ingredients

• 1 free-range chicken (about 1.6kg), jointed into 8 pieces, or 4 legs + 4 thighs
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper
• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 30g butter
• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 150g smoked bacon lardons
• 2 banana shallots, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 300ml vin jaune (or a good dry Savagnin / fino sherry)
• 250ml chicken stock
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 400g mixed wild mushrooms (girolles, trompettes, oyster), torn or brushed clean
• 150g button or chestnut mushrooms, quartered
• 1 tbsp butter, extra, for the mushrooms
• 150ml crème fraîche
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• Squeeze of lemon juice
• 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
• A few tarragon leaves (optional)

Method

1. Pat the chicken dry, season generously and dust lightly with the flour, shaking off any excess.
2. Heat the butter and oil in a wide casserole over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches, skin-side first, 4–5 minutes a side, until deep golden. Set aside.
3. Lower the heat, add the lardons and fry until the fat runs and they colour. Add the shallots and cook 4 minutes until soft, then the garlic for 30 seconds.
4. Pour in the vin jaune, scraping the base, and let it bubble hard for 3–4 minutes to burn off the raw alcohol. Add the stock, thyme and bay.
5. Return the chicken skin-side up, cover loosely and simmer very gently for 40–45 minutes (legs slightly longer than breast — remove breast pieces at 25 minutes if using), until tender.
6. Meanwhile, fry the mushrooms in the extra butter in a hot pan in batches, without crowding, until golden and squeaky. Season and set aside.
7. Lift the chicken out and keep warm. Reduce the sauce over high heat by about a third, then whisk in the crème fraîche and Dijon. Simmer 3–4 minutes until it coats a spoon.
8. Return the chicken and mushrooms to the sauce, warm through 3 minutes, then sharpen with lemon juice and check the seasoning.
9. Scatter with parsley and tarragon and serve straight from the pot with buttered noodles or steamed rice.