Coq au Riesling

Adapted from Foodandwine.com

Makes 6 servings

Prep time: 45 minutes

Cook time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients

4 chicken thighs, skin on

2 boneless chicken breasts, skin on, cut into 2 pieces each

Kosher salt

Freshly ground pepper

6 tbsp. olive or canola oil, divided

1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 medium carrot, chopped

3 celery ribs, chopped

1 large shallot, thinly sliced

1 c. dry Riesling

2 c. chicken stock

6 thyme sprigs

2 tbsp. unsalted butter

1 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 c. crème fraîche

3 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°.

2. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a large casserole or enameled Dutch oven, heat 4 tbsp. of the oil on medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook, occasionally turning until browned, around 7-8 minutes. Transfer to a plate. (If all the chicken won’t fit at once, cook in two batches, adding a little oil as needed.) Using paper towels, blot some of the liquid in the vessel, taking care not to remove the browned bits on the bottom. Don’t remove it all - leave a couple of tbsp. of liquid.

3. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp. of oil in the casserole. Add the onion, carrot, celery, and shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until the vegetables are softened and lightly browned, around 10 minutes.

4. Add the wine and let it simmer for 2 minutes, using a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits on the bottom. Add the chicken stock and thyme and bring to a boil.

5. Nestle the chicken in the casserole; cover and braise in the oven for 1 hour, or until tender and cooked through.

6. Before the chicken is done cooking, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sautee the mushrooms, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant, around 8 minutes. Remove from heat.

7. When the chicken is done cooking, transfer the chicken pieces to a plate. Cook the liquid and vegetables over high heat, boiling it until reduced to 1.5 cups of liquid. Turn off the heat and let sit for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

8. Whisk in the lemon juice and crème fraîche until completely incorporated. Add the mushrooms and any accumulated juices and season with salt and pepper. For a thicker sauce, turn on the heat to medium and gently reduce the sauce, stirring frequently, until the desired thickness is achieved.

9. Finely chop the parsley, and garnish the chicken and sauce when plating if desired.

Serve over basmati rice, or with egg noodles.

Mangia bene!