This dinner can be made a day or two in advance. The earthy mushrooms and soft leeks form a rich sauce to enhance the braised chicken. Serves 4 as an entrée.
Ingredients:
- 1 organic chicken or / 8 chicken thighs or / 4 airline breasts or / 4 thighs with drumsticks
- 5 strips La Quercia Tamworth bacon
- 4 organic leeks
- 3 cups organic mushrooms, any variety
- 5 organic garlic cloves
- 1 sprig fresh organic rosemary
- 2 tablespoons King Arthur all purpose flour
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 2 ½ cups More than Gourmet chicken broth
- ¼ cup Rosehill cream
- Diamond Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
Prep:
If using a whole chicken, butcher into individual pieces. Remember to reserve the neck and giblets for a future use. Generously season the chicken with salt.
Coarsely chop the bacon.
Wash the leeks. Cut the leeks crosswise across the lighter green and white parts.
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp towel. Trim off the ends, if needed, and coarsely chop.
Coarsely chop the garlic.
Coarsely chop the rosemary
Instructions:
Heat a large heavy pot or Dutch oven medium heat.
When hot, sauté the chopped bacon until crispy. Set aside the bacon, but reserve the cooked fat in the pan.
Working in batches, sauté the chicken, skin side down, until the skin is lightly golden brown. Turn over to brown the other side. Remove the chicken pieces from the pan and set aside. Repeat the process with the rest of the chicken.
Carefully tilt the pan and spoon out all but a few tablespoons of the rendered fat. Add in the leeks, garlic, and mushrooms. Sauté until all of the vegetables are soft and beginning to brown.
Mix in the flour and stir to combine well, then add in the white wine, chicken broth, and chopped rosemary. Stir to combine.
Add in the browned chicken, along with any accumulated juices, as well as the cooked bacon pieces.
Increase heat to medium-high and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover partially, then reduce heat to low (to maintain the pot at a simmer.) Cook for 40 – 50 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken pieces from the pot and set aside on a serving platter.
Raise the heat to medium-high and bring back to a boil to reduce the sauce by half. Add in the cream to the vegetable sauce mixture, add salt and pepper to taste, and pour the sauce over the chicken to serve.
This dish can be made one or two days ahead and benefits from a day's rest. Follow the recipe up until the chicken is cooked through, holding the chicken and vegetables covered in the pot in the fridge.
