French Chicken Stew with Creamy White Mushroom Sauce
  • Dinner

French Chicken Stew with Creamy White Mushroom Sauce

A recipe from our chef JB (yes, he's French!), this traditional French dish is essentially a quick chicken stew with a creamy white mushroom sauce. It's a bit like a white sauce version of the famous French Coq au Vin – but it's much faster to make! This is a wonderful rustic family meal that's quick enough for midweek, or to elevate to restaurant level by using homemade chicken stock.

A quick chicken stew with a creamy white mushroom sauce, reminiscent of Coq au Vin but faster to make.

4 servings

~1 hr

Ingredients

Chicken

  • Chicken Breasts, ~150g/5oz each×4
  • Chicken Thighs, skin-on and bone-in (~250g/8oz each)×4
  • Salt, cooking / kosher1 tsp
  • Black Pepper½ tsp
  • Unsalted Butter4 tbsp

Stew ingredients

  • Mushrooms, halved if small, or cut in 4 to 6 if large300 g
  • Yellow Onions, sliced 0.6cm (1/2in) wide×2
  • Garlic, finely minced2 cloves
  • Bay Leaf, fresh (sub dried)×1
  • Thyme3 sprigs
  • All-purpose Flour3 tbsp
  • Dry White Wine, preferably chardonnay½ cup
  • Chicken Stock, low sodium (preferably homemade!)3 cups
  • Salt, cooking / kosher¼ tsp
  • Black Pepper¼ tsp
  • Parsley, chopped2 tbsp
  • Heavy Cream⅔ cup

Instructions

  1. Season the Chicken

    Pat chicken dry with paper towels then sprinkle with salt and pepper.

  2. Brown the Thighs

    Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet or heavy based pot with a lid. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute then remove to a plate.

  3. Brown the chicken breast

    Then brown the drumsticks, as best you can. I do 3 sides, about 2 minutes each. Then remove from skillet.

  4. Sauté Mushrooms and Onion

    Add mushrooms, onion, bay leave and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes until mushroom is lightly golden – they won't go deep golden brown.

  5. Add Garlic and Flour

    Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.

  6. Add Wine and Stock

    Add wine, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Stir, scraping the base of the pot to dissolve the brown residue stuck to the pan ("fond") into the sauce.

  7. Return Chicken to Sauce

    Return chicken back into the sauce with the skin side up.

  8. Simmer Covered

    Once it comes to a simmer, adjust heat so it's bubbling constantly but not rapidly (see video) – medium-low on my stove. Cover with lid and simmer 10 minutes.

  9. Uncover and Simmer

    Remove lid and let it simmer for a further 20 minutes. Chicken will be cooked – internal temperature 75°C/167°F or slightly higher.

  10. Make Creamy Sauce

    Remove chicken to a plate. Add cream and stir. Once it comes up to a simmer, taste sauce (I know, big ask!), and add more salt if desired.

  11. Serve

    Return chicken into the sauce then remove from the stove. Sprinkle with parsley and serve! Traditionally served over mashed potato or rice. Also ideal with short pasta like penne, ziti or macaroni.

Recipe Notes

1. Chicken – Needs to be skin on, bone in pieces so they don’t overcook and dry out. If you are dead set on making this with boneless breast, brown it per recipe, simmer sauce with lid off for 15 minutes (to reduce), then add breast and simmer with lid on for 6 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 65°C/149°F. For boneless thigh, do the same except the internal temperature should be 75°C/167°F. 2. Wine – Any dry white wine will work great here, though chardonnay is particularly good because it adds good flavour. Don’t use anything too sweet or too woody. Non alcoholic substitute: Replace with more chicken stock. 3. Recipe source – Another winning Gallic classic created with the help of French chef Jean-Baptiste Alexandré!

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