Coq au Riesling

8 chicken thighs, skin on, trimmed of fat
fine sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons butter, divided
3 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
1 cup dry Riesling
1 cup chicken stock
8 ounces cremini mushrooms, stemmed, cut into eights
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley, for garnish

Liberally season chicken with salt and pepper. Warm oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large deep pan or Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken in batches until browned all over. Remove to a plate.

To the hot pan add shallots and garlic; sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Deglaze pan with Cognac. Place the chicken back in the pan. Pour in wine and stock. Bring to a gentle boil. Lower to a fast simmer and cook, covered, until chicken is tender, about 45 minutes. Turn chicken once during cooking time.

Meanwhile, warm 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet set over medium heat. Add mushrooms and sauté until lightly browned.

Remove chicken to a plate and keep warm. Increase heat to medium-high to reduce the sauce by a third. To thicken the sauce, knead the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and flour into a paste. Add to pan and stir constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in crème fraîche and mushrooms. Check seasoning. Return chicken to pan and reheat. Serve over buttered egg noodles. Garnish with parsley.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

 

- Recipe courtesy of Gastronomer's Guide.