This fragrant, cozy dish is a perfect meal for the cooler season. The sauce base is dried wild mushrooms known for their intense aroma – woody, earthy and sweet. We soak them first then braise with onions, garlic, thyme and the soaking water. Once the mushrooms are done – after about 20 minutes – we stir in some cooking cream. The sauce is then poured over pan-seared chicken pieces, and that’s when a few slices of potatoes go in, too. Adding potatoes to the Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce turns it into an easy one-pot meal – a great option for a midweek dinner.
The Flavour Affair:
Chicken + Mushrooms + Thyme + Garlic + Onions + White Wine + Cream + Parsley
Optional: truffle oil, mustard, Gruyere cheese
Chicken: bone-in thighs or legs work best in this kind of dishes. They cook quickly and always come out tender. Pick pieces with skin on.
Mushrooms: we need dried wild mushrooms or porcini here. Their prominent flavour is the main component of the sauce.
Thyme: an excellent companion for mushrooms, enhances the flavours with its savory taste with a hint of bitterness.
Garlic and Onions: complement the sauce with deep, sweet, ‘meaty’ aromas.
White Wine: adds an acidic element which helps lighten the otherwise rather heavy sauce. If you don’t want to use wine, substitute with chicken stock and a splash of white malt vinegar.
Cream: I use regular cooking cream which is moderately thick.
Parsley: enlivens the end dish with its fresh, slightly peppery trail.
To enhance the flavours further, you can add a splash of truffle oil in the very end, stir in a dollop of mustard and some grated Gruyere cheese. You can also use sherry wine instead or dry white – the sauce will get a deeper flavour and be on a sweeter side.
Preparation Tips for Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce:
- Thighs or legs work great here, but you can also use chicken breast as long as it is on a bone. The bone helps prevent the meat from getting too dry. Likewise, choose pieces with skin on – it keeps the moisture from escaping.
- As you sear the chicken, the skin turns beautifully golden. However, the colour fades and the texture softens after braising. If you have a blow torch, use it on the cooked chicken pieces to enhance the colour and texture.
- Use white wine, sherry or chicken stock to deglaze the pan after searing the chicken. Scrape the yummy brown bits off the sides of the casserole to incorporate them into the sauce.
- If you don’t want to use alcohol, add a splash of white vinegar into the sauce to cut through its richness.
- Soak dried mushrooms in lukewarm water, then take them out with a blotted spoon. Wash each piece thoroughly under running water, rubbing off all dirt and sand. Washing is very important – the last thing you want are sand particles on your teeth! Strain the soaking water through a fine mesh and keep it.
- To prepare the mushrooms, start by frying garlic cloves, onions and fresh thyme in a little oil. Once they have released their aromas, add the mushrooms and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add 1/2 cups of soaking liquid and simmer over low heat until it evaporates. Repeat 2-3 times. This helps intensify the flavour of the sauce.
.
- You can cook the mushrooms beforehand (a day or two) and keep in the fridge until ready to use.
- Soaking water has loads of flavour from the mushrooms. If you have any left over, refrigerate it and use for soups, stews or sauces. For instance, like in these Seared Scallops with Potato Mash and Wild Mushroom Sauce recipe!
Serving Suggestions:
I love adding potatoes into the sauce – they soak up all the flavours and come out deliciously creamy. However, if you don’t have a big enough casserole, you can boil, fry or roast the potatoes separately and serve as a side. You can also opt for rice or pasta, or just get loads of fresh bread to mop up the yummy sauce!
Bon appetit! Don’t forget to check out some more of my favourite chicken casseroles:
Chkmeruli (Chicken in Creamy Garlic Sauce)
.
Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce
Equipment
- 1 large heavy-bottom casserole
- 1 medium sauce pan
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken bone-in skin on chicken thighs (see notes)
- 4 tbsp cooking oil divided
- 400g potatoes, sliced into 1cm circles
- 30 g dried mixed wild or porcini mushrooms
- 1 l water
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 4-6 garlic cloves bruised
- 1 medium red onion roughly chopped
- 150 ml dry white wine see notes
- 400 ml regular cooking cream
- 2 tbsp parsley freshly chopped
- Salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Place dried mushrooms into a bowl and pour over 1l lukewarm water. Leave for 30 minutes.
- Take the mushrooms out with a blotted spoon and wash thoroughly under running water, rubbing off sand and dirt. Set aside.
- Strain the soaking water through a very fine mesh, then set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp cooking oil in a medium sauce pan. Add the garlic cloves and chopped onions and fry for a few minutes. Add the thyme sprigs and cook for further few minutes, until the aromas develop and the onion turns translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and fry for another 2-3 minutes over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.
- Lower the heat, pour in 1/2 cups of soaking water and simmer until the liquid evaporates. Repeat 2-3 times.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, heat 3 tbsp of oil in a large heavy bottom casserole.
- Add chicken pieces and sear over high heat until browned on all sides. Transfer to a pan or a cutting board.
- Deglaze the pan with 150ml of white wine. Scrape all brown bits off the sides and simmer until the alcohol evaporates and the liquid is reduced.
- Add the mushrooms to the casserole and pour in 400ml cooking cream and 1 tsp of salt. Give everything a good stir, taste and adjust for salt.
- Return the chicken to the casserole and tuck in potato slices.
- Cover and cook on the stove top over the lowest heat, or in the oven at 170C, for 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is tender and the potatoes are done.
- Season with ground black pepper and serve sprinkled with fresh chopped parsley.
Notes
- You can use thighs, legs or even chicken breasts as long as they are on a bone.
- You can substitute white wine with chicken stock. In that case, add a splash (about 2 tbsp) of white vinegar to the sauce before tucking in the chicken.
- You can also use 100ml sherry instead of 150ml white wine. Sherry will produce a deeper, sweeter flavour.
- To further enhance the flavours, try stirring in a little truffle oil just as you turn the heat off. You can also stir in a teaspoon of Dijon mustard and some grated Gruyere cheese.
- You don’t have to add the potatoes to the casserole – you can also cook them separately the way you want, or serve the chicken over pasta or rice with lots of sauce poured over.
