Chicken Braised in White Wine

This recipe is one of my tried-and-true favorites. (Well, as tried-and-true as you can get when you have only been really cooking for 2 1/2 years - haha) Plus, the name just makes it sound so fancy, doesn't it? I discovered last year that braising is one of my favorite ways of preparing meat. Braising simply means cooking with "both moist and dry heat; typically the food is first seared at a high temperature and then finished in a covered pot with a variable amount of liquid, resulting in a particular flavour" (Wikipedia).

I have changed a lot of the amounts in this recipe, in order to make more servings with not as much meat. The key ingredient to this dish is the demi-glace; which is a thick paste made from simmering stock and aromatics for hours and hours, resulting in a highly concentrated flavor. Look here for a better idea of what it is. And before you get excited about the price, you don't need to buy demi-glace to still have a similar flavor in this dish. Go to your local supermarket and pick up some Better Than Bouillon for about $5.99 and you will be all set. You can find it near the soups and soup mixes.

That being said, this dish is excellent. The slow-cooked meat paired with the potatoes, onions, and mushrooms is delicious, especially when highlighted by the white wine and demi-glace flavors. Mmmmm....

Chicken Braised in White Wine
adapted from Williams-Sonoma
Makes 4 servings

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 yellow onion, thinly sliced
8 oz. white button mushrooms, quartered
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon chicken demi-glace
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 fresh flat-leaf parsley sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried parsley, plus more for garnishing
2 fresh thyme sprigs or 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 to 1 1/2 pounds red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Preheat an oven to 375ºF.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper. Add the chicken and toss to coat evenly.

In a deep oven-safe sauté pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the chicken and brown on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a plate.

Add remaining tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add the onion and mushrooms to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 5 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the wine and demi-glace. Set the pan over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the demi-glace, about 5 minutes.

Return the chicken to the pan and add the garlic, parsley, thyme, bay leaf and potatoes. Bring to a boil, cover and transfer to the oven.

Cook until the chicken is very tender, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, remove the bay leaf, garnish with parsley, and serve immediately.

Ready to go into the oven...

And after...