Classic French Hunter’s Chicken
A hearty and comforting French dish featuring tender chicken thighs simmered in a rich sauce with mushrooms and herbs.
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 0.25 cup all-purpose flour
- 6 pieces chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large Swiss brown mushroom, sliced
- 7 oz Swiss brown button mushrooms, halved or quartered
- 2 pieces shallots, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 0.33 cup Cognac
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Coat chicken thighs with flour in a bowl.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken thighs, skin side down. Brown the skin until dark golden, then turn and brown the other sides. Remove the thighs and set aside.
- Remove excess oil, leaving 2 tablespoons in the pan. Sauté mushrooms for 5 minutes.
- Add shallots and garlic, sauté until shallots soften.
- Pour in cognac to deglaze the pan, scraping up any brown bits. Reduce by half.
- Stir in tomato paste, chicken stock, and tarragon. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 1-2 minutes.
- Return chicken thighs to the pan, skin side up. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes, checking and scraping the bottom every 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid. If the sauce is thin, simmer uncovered to thicken.
- Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta.
Notes
Be cautious not to burn the shallots or eschallots. If the sauce is too thin, simmer longer to thicken.