Braising is one of my favorite methods of cooking. It basically means searing then simmering in liquid. You can braise on the stove top or in the oven. The flavor produced by this method is outrageous and the house smells heavenly! This combination of chicken, porcinis, wine and shallots is one of my favorite braising recipes. I know you’ll love this one!
Ingredients:
Serves 3 – 4
- 1 oz of dried porcini mushrooms
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- 6 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs
- 2 Tbs of flour for coating chicken
- salt for seasoning chicken
- pepper for seasoning chicken
- 1 Tbs of vegetable or canola oil
- 4 large shallots, sliced
- 5 cloves of garlic,chopped
- 6-7 oz of button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 1/2 cups of dry white wine
- 2 bay leaves
- 4-5 fresh thyme sprigs, tied with kitchen twine
- 2-3 Tbs of cornstarch to thicken sauce
- 1/2 cup of fresh chopped parsley
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°
Start by heating 1 cup of chicken broth in a small bowl or glass measuring cup to almost the boiling point, either in a microwave or saucepan. Add in the mushrooms, push them down in the liquid and let them sit and rehydrate for 30 minutes. Drain, chop the porcinis and reserve the liquid.
Next, coat the chicken thighs with flour and sprinkle on a little salt and pepper, both sides. In a large dutch oven, over high heat, add in the oil and cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until light golden brown, you may have to work in 2 batches. Remove the chicken from the dutch oven.
Now, reduce the heat to medium and add the shallots to the dutch oven, saute for 3-4 minutes, add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute,
then add in the button mushrooms and cook a few more minutes.
Add in the porcinis and their liquid and the wine. Nestle in the chicken thighs, add in the thyme bundle and the bay leaves, stir gently, cover and bake for 1- 1/2 hours. (90 min.)
Remove the chicken from the dutch oven, fish out the thyme bundle and the bay leaves and make a slurry using about 1/3 cup of warm sauce from the dutch oven and 2-3 Tbs of cornstarch, enough to get a cream like consistency. Stir it into the sauce, heat over medium heat until thickened, then stir in the parsley, taste and add salt if needed, then add the chicken back in. All ready to serve. Delicious with warm crusty bread, over mashed potatoes or pasta!
