Spring Chicken With Mushroom and Lemon
For a main course, chicken-noodle anything is always an attractive option, and here, boneless, skinless chicken thighs come together with button mushrooms and a sauce of chicken broth, white wine and crème fraîche for a bright, filling stew. To make it sparkle, it’s all finished with a generous handful of tender sweet herbs and lots — lots! — of lemon zest. Egg noodles, or fresh pasta, such as pappardelle, are a good choice.
- Preparation:
- Cooking:
- Total:
- Serves: 4 persons
Ingredients
- 4tablespoons unsalted butter or extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
- 1pound button mushrooms, or a mix of other mushrooms, sliced
- Salt and black pepper
- 5 ½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 2tablespoons all-purpose flour, for dusting
- 2large shallots, diced
- 1small bay leaf
- ½cup dry white wine or vermouth
- 2cups chicken broth
- 12ounces wide egg noodles or wide-cut pasta, for serving
- ¼cup crème fraîche
- 1cup frozen peas (optional)
- 2tablespoons snipped chives
- 2tablespoons roughly chopped dill
- 1tablespoon roughly chopped tarragon
- 1tablespoon roughly chopped mint
- 3tablespoons roughly chopped chervil or parsley
- Zest of 2 lemons (about 2 tablespoons)
Instructions
Step 1
Put 2 tablespoons butter in a Dutch oven or deep, wide skillet over medium-high heat. When butter sizzles, add mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring, until mushrooms are lightly browned and softened, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn off heat. Transfer mushrooms to a plate, and set aside.Step 2
Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dust lightly with flour; shake off excess. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the same Dutch oven and turn heat to medium. When butter sizzles, add half of the chicken, letting it brown on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch. Remove from the pot. Add remaining chicken and repeat, setting aside the chicken. (You may have to add more butter or oil.)Step 3
Add shallots to the Dutch oven, and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add bay leaf and wine, and simmer for about 2 minutes, scraping the pot to deglaze any browned bits. Return chicken to pot and turn heat to high.Step 4
Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Turn down heat to maintain a brisk simmer and cook, uncovered, until the chicken is tender, about 20 minutes, then raise heat to high and let liquid reduce by half, about 5 minutes.Step 5
Meanwhile, cook noodles or pasta in salted water.Step 6
Add reserved mushrooms, crème fraîche and peas, if using, to the stew. Reduce sauce again, until thickened to a gravylike consistency, a few minutes more. Taste and adjust seasoning. To finish, stir in half of the chives, dill, tarragon, mint, chervil and lemon zest, reserving part of the herb mix to sprinkle over top.Step 7
Drain noodles or pasta, transfer to a warm serving platter and spoon chicken and sauce on top, and finish with more of the herb mixture.