Chicken With White Wine And Crème Fraiche (Fresh)
Serves 4
A very French chicken, very simple and a nice change of pace
You’ll Need:
2 TLBS olive oil
One 3 1/2-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces
Woody’s note: I found a package of four breasts and four legs which worked out quite well
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 carrot, halved lengthwise
1 celery rib, halved lengthwise
1 leek, white and tender green parts only, quartered lengthwise
1 medium onion, halved
2 garlic cloves, halved
2 bay leaves
1 clove
1/2 teaspoon whole peppercorns
2 TLBS unsalted butter
1/2 cup crème fraiche
Woody’s note with the help of Julia Child: to make 2 cups of crème fraiche whisk 1 cup of chilled heavy cream and 1 cup of chilled sour cream in a bowl until lightly thickened. I suggest letting it sit out at room temperature for several hours to further thicken And sour a bit.
Here’s What To Do:
In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and cook in a single layer over moderately high heat, skin side down, until the skin is golden and beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the chicken stock, water and white wine to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Add the carrot, celery, leek, onion, garlic, bay leaves, clove and peppercorns and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken pieces to the skillet, skin side up. Cover, reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover loosely with foil.
Strain the cooking liquid into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and then simmer over moderately high heat until reduced to 2/3 cup, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat. Whisk in the crème fraiche and butter and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken, skin side down; cook over moderately high heat until the skin is crisp, 2 minutes. Transfer to plates, ladle the sauce on top and serve.
MAKE AHEAD The chicken can be prepared through Step 2 and refrigerated overnight in the poaching liquid.
What Goes With What Wines Selections
BRIDLEWOOD CHARDONNAY MONTEREY COUNTY ‘06 (Chardonnay)
A really decent Chardonnay with aromas and flavors of nectarine, Mandarin oranges and fresh apples and bit of vanilla and spice plus a bit of a smoky flavor from a blend of Viognier in the finish. $13.99
http://www.bridlewoodwinery.com