Crispy Chicken Thighs with Creamy Herbed Mushrooms
When the weather turns cold, dig into this comforting meal of juicy chicken thighs, earthy mushrooms and an herb-infused cream sauce enriched with chicken demi-glace. We call for a cast-iron pot because it heats evenly and retains heat well, producing wonderfully crisp skin on the chicken. Use whatever combination of wild and cultivated mushrooms you’d like for this recipe. If the mushrooms are less than 2 inches (5 cm) wide, you can leave some whole, rather than slice them. Serve this hearty dish with mashed potatoes or crusty bread to soak up the luscious sauce.
Ingredients:
- 6 to 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 2 lb. (1 kg) total
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 1/2 lb. (750 g) wild and/or cultivated mushrooms, such as chanterelle, shiitake and cremini, stemmed and sliced
- 3 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 Tbs. minced fresh rosemary, plus 3 rosemary sprigs
- 1 Tbs. minced fresh thyme, plus 3 thyme sprigs
- 1 Tbs. minced fresh sage, plus 5 whole sage leaves
- 1 cup (8 fl. oz./250 ml) dry Champagne or white wine
- 1 1/2 cups (12 fl. oz./375 ml) heavy cream
- 1 Tbs. chicken demi-glace
Directions:
Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and pepper.
In a 3 1/2-quart (3.5-l) Dutch oven over medium-high heat, melt the butter with the olive oil, swirling to combine. When they are almost smoking, add half of the chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook until the skin is deep golden brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until browned on the other side, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat to brown the remaining chicken and transfer to the plate.
Add the mushrooms, shallots and minced rosemary, thyme and sage to the pot. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing frequently with tongs, until the mushrooms are browned and softened, about 4 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then transfer to a bowl.
Reduce the heat to medium and add the Champagne to the pot, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Whisk in the cream and demi-glace and bring to a vigorous simmer, then cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the mushroom mixture, then nestle the chicken in the mushrooms, keeping the skin uncovered. Arrange the rosemary sprigs, thyme sprigs and sage leaves around the chicken and in the sauce.
Transfer to the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh, away from the bone, registers 165°F (74°C), 10 to 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Serves 4 to 6.
Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen
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