Braised Chicken With Wild Mushrooms And Thyme Recipes

CHICKEN WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and sprinkle both sides liberally with salt and pepper. Place 1/2 cup flour in a bowl and dredge the chicken in the flour. In a large (12-inch) ovenproof pot such as Le Creuset, heat the oil. Add the chicken in three batches (don't crowd them!) and brown lightly over medium-high heat for 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken to a plate and continue until all the chicken is browned.
• Add the whole garlic cloves, mushrooms, and thyme to the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute, scraping up the brown bits. Add the minced garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the wine, chicken stock, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken (large pieces first), cover, and place in the middle of the oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through (about 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).
• Remove the chicken to a bowl and discard the thyme. With a fork, mash together the butter and 1/4 cup flour and add it to the sauce. Simmer, stirring constantly, over medium heat for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened. Season to taste (it should be highly seasoned), put the chicken back in the sauce, and serve hot.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Quick-cooking polenta made to package directions, or crusty-style bake-off packaged bread such as ciabatta or, fresh crusty bread - pop in freezer if storing more than one night.
• Place the dried mushrooms, and stock in small pot over medium-high heat. Bring to low boil then reduce heat to low and reconstitute.
• Heat a thin layer of olive oil, a couple of turns of the pan, in a large skillet with a tight-fitting lid or a Dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Pat the chicken pieces dry, and season liberally with salt and pepper. To avoid crowding the pan, brown 1/2 the chicken at a time, skin-side down, for 5 minutes, then turn the chicken and brown 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Remove the browned chicken to a plate and add to the pan the sliced fresh mushrooms, browning the mushrooms for 10 to 15 minutes. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves, salt, and pepper and stir 10 minutes more to soften.
• Deglaze the pot with the Marsala. Add the chicken pieces back to the pot and arrange the vegetables and mushrooms on top. Remove the porcinis from the small pot, roughly chop, and add to chicken. Pour the porcini stock over the chicken, reserving the last couple of spoonfuls, as this is where any grit may have settled.
• Cover and braise at a low simmer for 30 minutes over low heat. Cool and store for a make-ahead meal. Reheat over a medium flame, or in a preheated 325 degree F oven, and heat through 20 to 30 minutes. Serve with quick-cooking polenta or crusty bread, and garnish with chopped celery tops.

BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Rinse porcini with warm water (they are often sandy), then place in a small bowl, cover with hot water and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. In a separate bowl, soak the morels in hot water.
• Heat oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken legs on a baking sheet in one layer. Season generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Roast, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned. Remove and set aside. Turn oven to 350 degrees.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce: Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to color.
• Add bacon and tomato paste, stir to incorporate with onions, and cook for about 1 minute, then stir in garlic and cayenne. Sprinkle with flour and stir to coat. Add wine and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in turkey broth and bring to a simmer. The sauce will thicken slightly. Add bay leaf and thyme sprig. Drain porcini and morels and add to sauce.
• Submerge browned chicken legs in sauce and bring to a brisk simmer. Cover and transfer pot to oven. Bake for about 1 hour, until chicken is tender. Remove from oven and keep covered.
• While chicken bakes, make the potatoes: Put potatoes in a saucepan and cover with 1 inch of water. Add 1 teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce to a brisk simmer and cook until tender, about 15 minutes.
• Drain potatoes and let cool. Peel potatoes with a paring knife and return to saucepan. (Alternatively, potatoes may be peeled before cooking, or you may opt to leave skins on.) Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and 1 cup water. Bring to a simmer over high heat to warm potatoes through, then set aside, covered.
• To serve, divide legs among 6 warm plates. Spoon sauce and mushrooms over each serving. Sprinkle parsley over potatoes and place a few potatoes on each plate. Transfer remaining potatoes and buttery juices to a serving dish. Serve remaining sauce in a gravy boat if desired.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over high. Add chicken, and cook until light golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate; set aside.
• Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet. Add mushrooms and garlic, and season with salt. Cover; and cook over medium heat until mushrooms release their juices, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove lid. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms are golden, 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add wine, and cook, stirring, until evaporated, about 1 minute. Add broth and parsley, cook over medium-high heat until mushrooms are tender and liquid is reduced, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Return chicken to skillet. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve chicken topped with mushrooms, and drizzled with cooking liquid. Garnish with chopped parsley.

SILKY BRAISED CHICKEN WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND PEARL ONIONS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Spread a third of the onion slices and all the garlic in the bottom of a 7-quart ovenproof casserole or Dutch oven. Scatter 5 sprigs thyme, 1 bay leaf, and 1 rosemary sprig over the onion layer. Lay half the chicken pieces on top of the herb layer. Repeat with another third of the onion slices, the same amounts of each of the herbs as before, and the remaining chicken pieces; finish with a layer of all the remaining onion slices. Pour Riesling and chicken stock over onions and chicken. Cover casserole, and place in the oven to cook until chicken is tender, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Remove chicken pieces from casserole, and let sit until cool enough to handle. Remove skin from chicken; cut each breast piece in half. Spread each chicken piece with 1/2 teaspoon mustard, season with salt and pepper, and top with sprigs of thyme. Set aside. With a ladle, remove about 1 cup of the chicken cooking liquid from casserole, straining it into a shallow bowl or fat separator; set aside to separate.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add pearl onions, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, shaking skillet often, until mushrooms soften and turn golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add mushrooms, and season again with salt and pepper. Cook, shaking skillet often, until mushrooms soften and release their juice, 3 to 5 minutes. Cook until juice has evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons Madeira to skillet, and cook until evaporated, about 1 minute. Transfer mixture to a bowl, and set aside.
• Return skillet to medium heat. Arrange 5 bacon strips in a single layer in skillet. Cook until bacon renders most of its fat and is golden brown. Place a piece of chicken on each piece of bacon and, using tongs, wrap chicken in bacon in a more or less haphazard way. Do not worry if chicken unwraps; it can be easily rewrapped before serving. Remove chicken from skillet, place on a platter, and cover with foil to keep warm. Drain fat from skillet. Repeat with remaining bacon and chicken.
• Add reserved cooked mushrooms and onions and all the chicken to skillet. Add remaining 2 tablespoons Madeira and the reserved chicken cooking liquid, skimmed of fat. Cook until chicken and vegetables are hot. Serve.

WINE-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS AND LEEKS

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Season all over with 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and the black pepper. Finely grate, pass through a press or mince 2 garlic cloves. Set aside half the grated garlic for finishing the dish. Rub the rest all over the chicken pieces. Set aside the chicken while preparing the other ingredients.
• In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, combine 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter. When the butter melts, add chicken in batches and cook until browned on both sides, 4 to 6 minutes per side. If the pan dries out, add a little more oil as needed. Transfer browned chicken to a plate.
• Add remaining tablespoon each oil and butter to the pan. Once the butter melts, add mushrooms and cook undisturbed until well browned on one side, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir and cook for 1 minute longer.
• Thinly slice 2 garlic cloves. Reduce heat to medium, and stir in sliced garlic, leeks and a large pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are tender and golden brown, 7 minutes. Add rosemary and wine to the pot and let simmer, scraping up the browned bits, until liquid reduces by half, about 1 minute.
• Nestle chicken, skin side up, into the pan and pour in any accumulated juices from the plate. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a serving platter and tent with foil to keep warm. Pluck the rosemary sprigs from the pot. If the sauce looks thin, turn the heat to medium-high and let simmer until it thickens slightly, 2 to 5 minutes. Stir in the remaining grated garlic, the crème fraîche, chives and lemon zest. Taste sauce and add more salt if needed. Spoon sauce over the chicken and top with parsley, more lemon zest and a dollop of crème fraîche, if you like, and serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH WILD MUSHROOMS AND THYME

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position. Heat oven to 300°F.
• In small bowl, pour boiling water over dried mushrooms. Let stand 30 minutes to allow mushrooms to rehydrate (if mushrooms float to surface, place small saucer in bowl to keep them submerged). Use slotted spoon to remove rehydrated mushrooms from water; set aside. Reserve mushroom water.
• In 4- or 5-quart ovenproof Dutch oven, heat butter and oil over medium-high heat until butter is melted. Add half of the chicken pieces and cook 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until chicken is deep golden brown (you are not cooking the chicken, just giving it color). Remove chicken from Dutch oven and place on plate. Repeat with remaining chicken.
• Reduce heat to medium and add onions and garlic. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft. Add rehydrated and sliced button mushrooms, carrots, celery, bay leaves, thyme and 3 tablespoons of the parsley. Cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened and mushrooms give up their juices.
• Add reserved mushroom water and heat to a simmer. Simmer uncovered 10 minutes (you are trying to concentrate the flavor of the liquid). Add chicken (along with any juices that may have accumulated on plate), broth, wine, tomatoes, salt and pepper.
• Cover pan and place in oven. Bake 1 1/2 hours or until chicken is very tender and there is a good amount of broth. Remove and discard bay leaves and thyme sprig. Place 2 pieces chicken into each of 4 large, flat serving bowls and ladle broth over. Sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley.