Poulet Chasseur (French Hunter's Chicken)

About This Recipe

Poulet chasseur, 'hunter's style chicken,' is a classic of French home and bistro cooking, its name referring to the rustic, forageable ingredients — mushrooms, shallots, tomato and wine — that a hunter might gather to flavor freshly caught game. Chicken pieces are browned first for a deep base flavor, then braised gently in a sauce built from sauteed mushrooms, shallots and garlic, deglazed with white wine before tomato and a touch of tarragon round it out. The sauce reduces as the chicken cooks, thickening naturally around the pieces until it clings to the meat, finished with a small pat of butter swirled in at the end for a glossy sheen and rounder flavor.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 8bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 tbspolive oil
• 2 tbspbutter
• 250 gcremini mushrooms(sliced)
• 2shallots(minced)
• 2 clovesgarlic(minced)
• 1/2 cupdry white wine
• 400 gcrushed tomatoes
• 1 cupchicken stock
• 1 tspdried tarragon
• 1 tspsalt
• 1/2 tspblack pepper
• 2 tbspchopped parsley(for garnish)

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the chicken

   Heat olive oil in a wide pan and brown chicken thighs on both sides, about 10 minutes total; remove and set aside.

2. 2

   Cook the mushrooms

   Add butter to the pan and cook mushrooms until browned, about 8 minutes, then add shallots and garlic, cooking 2 more minutes.

3. 3

   Deglaze

   Pour in the white wine, scraping up any browned bits, and simmer 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Build the sauce

   Add crushed tomatoes, chicken stock, tarragon, salt and pepper, stirring to combine.

5. 5

   Braise

   Return the chicken to the pan, cover, and simmer 30-35 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and tender.

   Keep the simmer gentle so the sauce reduces slowly and thickens rather than boiling too aggressively.

6. 6

   Finish

   Uncover and simmer 5 more minutes if the sauce needs to thicken further, then garnish with parsley and serve.

Variations

• •

  Adding a splash of cognac along with the wine gives extra richness.

• •

  A version with white wine only, omitting the tomato, is closer to a classic chicken fricassee.

• •

  Chicken breasts can replace thighs for a leaner version, though reduce the braising time to keep them from drying out.

Storage

Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; reheat gently on the stove, adding a splash of stock if the sauce has thickened too much.

Frequently Asked Questions