Prepare chicken the way French villagers have for centuries.
Chicken Chasseur, or “hunter’s chicken”, harkens back to a time in France when rural villagers who were not raising their own livestock for food would travel into the forest to hunt and gather. Hunting chicken and foraging for mushrooms, the ultimate result would be this simple, slow-cooked dish, prepared at home with freshly prepared game and unearthed mushrooms. This chicken dish embodies traditional French fare prepared by common families in their households. Prepared in a heavy cast iron pot, and using the same techniques utilized in dishes such as Coq Au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon, this dish deserves its own place in the Hall of Fame of classic French comfort dishes.
The first step to preparing this meal is browning the chicken in a heavy pot with oil, salt, and pepper. Once browned, remove the chicken and add onion, garlic, and mushrooms, providing that classic Western European flavor and aroma. After the vegetables soften, deglaze your pot with wine, bringing all of the rich flavors to the surface. Tomato paste adds a bit of a zesty bite, complementing the onions, garlic, and mushrooms perfectly. Add your chicken back to the pot, and slow cook until fall-off-the-fork tender.
This is a warming and satisfying dish that is sure to please on a chilly winter day. Serve it with brown rice, quinoa, millet, or barley for a fiber-rich carbohydrate companion. You’ll find the nutty, earthy flavors of whole, complex carbohydrates so much more satisfying than white, starchy sides. And satisfaction is what this dish is about; it pleases the palate, warms, and comforts.
One-Pot Chicken Chasseur
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 to 1 1/2 pounds chicken breasts or legs, skin-on
- 1 onion coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves crushed
- 2 cups button mushrooms or baby bella, cut into quarters or halves (1 pint)
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock low-sodium preferred
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 thyme sprigs fresh or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Salt and pepper the chicken, and cook for about 5 minutes, turning halfway through so that the outside is golden brown. Set the chicken aside.
- Add 1 more tablespoon of olive oil and the onion to the pot, and cook for 5 minutes until softened and translucent. Add garlic, cook for about 1 minute until golden and fragrant. Add the mushrooms, cook for 3- 4 minutes, or until the water has been released and evaporated. Stir in the flour and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the wine slowly. Scrape the bottom of the pan while cooking to get any frond from the bottom. Stir in the tomato paste, thyme, and bay leaf and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Return to the chicken to the pot, add the stock, salt, and pepper, and cover and allow to simmer for 15- 20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.
- Spoon the sauce over the chicken to serve. Chicken skin may be removed before adding the sauce, if preferred. This dish can be served with brown rice or quinoa.
Nutrition Information
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How should you make this in the slowcooker?
Mike, Place raw chicken along with the other ingredients (after browing as instructed) in the slow cooker and cook on low 6-8 hours or until chicken is done.