Description
French soldiers’ favorite battlefield dish comes alive with tender chicken, rich tomato sauce, and classic Mediterranean ingredients. Napoleonic history meets culinary elegance in this hearty skillet meal you’ll savor with rustic charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 1 (13-pound/5.9-kilogram) chicken, cut into serving pieces
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- ½ teaspoon finely minced garlic
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried
Vegetables and Liquid Ingredients:
- 1½ cups (0.5 pounds/226 grams) thinly sliced mushrooms
- ½ cup dry white wine
- 2 cups cored and cubed red ripe tomatoes, or canned tomatoes
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 sprigs fresh parsley
Instructions
- Generously coat chicken pieces with salt and freshly ground black pepper, ensuring even seasoning across all surfaces.
- Heat a combination of butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high temperature until the fat shimmers and becomes fragrant.
- Carefully place seasoned chicken into the hot skillet, allowing each piece to develop a rich, golden-brown exterior by cooking undisturbed for 3-4 minutes per side.
- Transfer the browned chicken to a clean plate, keeping the delicious pan drippings intact.
- In the same skillet, introduce sliced mushrooms, finely chopped onions, and minced garlic, sautéing until the vegetables become soft and release their aromatic flavors.
- Reintroduce the chicken to the skillet, nestling the pieces among the sautéed vegetables.
- Add bay leaf and thyme sprigs, gently stirring to distribute the herbs throughout the dish.
- Deglaze the pan with dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet to intensify the flavor profile.
- Allow the wine to reduce by half, concentrating its essence and creating a more robust sauce.
- Incorporate cubed tomatoes and tomato paste, stirring thoroughly to ensure a uniform distribution of the tomato elements.
- Pour in chicken broth, submerging the chicken pieces about three-quarters of the way in the liquid.
- Reduce heat to low, cover the skillet, and let the dish simmer gently for 25-35 minutes, or until the chicken becomes fork-tender and fully cooked.
- Taste and fine-tune the seasoning with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed.
- Finish the dish by scattering fresh parsley sprigs over the top, adding a vibrant touch of color and fresh herbaceous flavor before serving.
Notes
- Rest your cooked chicken in the sauce, letting flavors dance and mingle before serving, creating a harmonious culinary experience.
- Sprinkle fresh parsley at the end, transforming the dish with a vibrant, herbal pop that cuts through the rich sauce.
- When your sauce looks too thick, splash in extra chicken broth; conversely, let it simmer uncovered to reduce if it’s too thin.
- Dried herbs pack more punch than fresh, so use them carefully and sparingly to avoid overwhelming the delicate chicken flavors.
- Slowly caramelize onions, garlic, and mushrooms, building a flavor foundation that will elevate the entire dish from good to spectacular.
- Ensure chicken surfaces are completely dry before browning to achieve that irresistible golden crust that seals in juiciness and creates incredible texture.
- Prep Time: 35 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing, Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 450 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 20 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg