Crispy chicken and white wine mushroom reduction sauce
Serves: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry (*brined – see note below)
kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons avocado oil
8 ounces white button or crimini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 Tablespoon minced shallots
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
1 cup dry vermouth or white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc
1 tomato, quartered, seeds removed and chopped, or 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes, drained
3 cups gluten free reduced sodium chicken broth
4 ounces cold unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
3 Tablespoons fresh Italian flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1. Preheat Oven: Adjust oven rack to middle position. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Brown Chicken: Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. In a 12 inch heavy skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until nearly smoking. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving, for about 5 minutes. Turn chicken pieces over to other side and continue cooking until chicken browns on all sides, up to 15 minutes total time.
3. Saute Mushrooms: When chicken is browned on all sides, remove chicken and place pieces on a rimmed baking sheet and into oven to continue cooking for about 20 minutes. Drain all but about 3 tablespoons of oil from the skillet and return to medium high heat. Add mushrooms and brown well, stirring often, about 4 minutes.
4. Cook Shallot: Add shallots to skillet and cook for about 1 minute, stirring continuously so you don’t burn the shallot.
5. Deglaze Pan: Remove skillet from heat, add brandy and light with a kitchen match. Stir mushrooms until flames go away, the return pan to medium heat. Add wine and stir. Bring to a boil and simmer until wine reduces to a glaze consistency, about 4 minutes, stirring often.
6. Simmer Sauce: Add the chicken broth and tomatoes and stir to combine. Simmer over high heat to reduce, about 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile, when chicken is cooked through, remove from oven and tent with foil until ready to serve.
7. Finish Sauce: When you have about 2 cups of mushrooms and liquid, remove pan from heat. Add butter pieces, one at a time, stirring to incorporate each before adding the next. When butter is incorporated, add parsley and tarragon and stir to combine.
8. Serve & Enjoy: To serve, place chicken on a large platter and pour sauce over, garnish with fresh parsley. Alternately, serve on individual plates with sauce poured over and a side of rice or noodles. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
*Brine chicken breasts for about an hour prior to cooking in a solution of water and equal parts kosher salt and sugar. For 4 bone-in chicken breasts, you need about 6 cups of water and about 1/2 cup each of kosher salt and granulated sugar. If using table salt, reduce amount to 1/4 cup. This will ensure juicy chicken no matter what pieces you use, as boneless chicken breasts or thighs work well in this recipe, too. For boneless chicken breasts, reduce time in the brine to 30 minutes.
