Recipe video above. A recipe from our chef JB (yes, he's French!), this traditional French dish is essentially a quick chicken stew with a creamy white mushroom sauce. It's a bit like a white sauce version of the famous French Coq au Vin – but it's much faster to make!This is a wonderful rustic family meal that's quick enough for midweek, or to elevate to restaurant level by using homemade chicken stock.
Season chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels then sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Brown thighs: Melt butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet or heavy based pot with a lid. Add chicken thighs, skin side down, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute then remove to a plate.
Brown drumsticks: Then brown the drumsticks, as best you can. I do 3 sides, about 2 minutes each. Then remove from skillet.
Sauté mushrooms and onion: Add mushrooms, onion, bay leave and thyme. Cook for 5 minutes until mushroom is lightly golden - they won't go deep golden brown.
Garlic and flour: Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add flour and cook for 1 minute.
Wine and chicken stock: Add wine, chicken stock, salt and pepper. Stir, scraping the base of the pot to dissolve the brown residue stuck to the pan ("fond") into the sauce.
Return chicken to sauce: Return chicken back into the sauce with the skin side up.
Simmer covered 10 minutes: Once it comes to a simmer, adjust heat so it's bubbling constantly but not rapidly (see video) - medium-low on my stove. Cover with lid and simmer 10 minutes.
Uncover 20 minutes: Remove lid and let it simmer for a further 20 minutes. Chicken will be cooked - internal temperature 75°C/167°F or slightly higher.
Creamy sauce: Remove chicken to a plate. Add cream and stir. Once it comes up to a simmer, taste sauce (I know, big ask!), and add more salt if desired..
Serve! Return chicken into the sauce then remove from the stove. Sprinkle with parsley and serve! Traditionally served over mashed potato or rice. Also ideal with short pasta like penne, ziti or macaroni.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 792 kcal
Carbohydrates: 22 g
Protein: 43 g
Fat: 57 g
Saturated Fat: 25 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 284 mg
Sodium: 1185 mg
Sugar: 7 g
Unsaturated Fat: 27 g
Reviews
Tayla on 2025-06-05 (5 stars): I made this for the first time this evening, it was delicious and my family enjoyed it as well! Thanks for the recipe ❤️
Lisa Higham on 2025-01-08 (5 stars): This looks like tea!
It’s a chilly -6 this morning and I want to make my family something warm and comforting. I love the idea of cauliflower mash with this, asparagus and green beans. I can imagine it’d be great with a crusty loaf to mop the sauce up.
Fingers crossed that my family love this.
AG on 2025-01-06 (5 stars): I've made this weekly for the past 3 years. At this point, I've perfected it. The key to avoid it be bland is to salt and pepper at every point and use only 3 cups of broth. Salt and pepper the chicken generously (but too much). Salt and pepper the onions and carrots while they're sauteing. Then when you add the broth, salt and pepper that as well. Gordon Ramsey does this. This will bring out the flavor in every ingrediant and enhance it. This dish does not need four cups of broth imo. It is too much and dilutes the flavor. 3 cups is enough. When you cover it and let it simmer, it will make enough water. I do not use white wine, heavy cream, or coconut milk. I simply stick to chicken stock and use a coconut cream cube at the end to melt it in and it's so delicious and suble. Add fresh parsley as well. *chef's kiss*
Darlene on 2025-01-02 (5 stars): Delicious meal and I loved the extra sauce. The chicken was perfectly seasoned and the sauce was amazing. I added grated parm to my sauce to thicken it up. Served with mashed potatoes the first night and pasta the second day. I double the spices and garlic other wise followed the recipe. Thanks Nagi I have both your cookbooks.
Bethany on 2024-12-29 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious, chicken falls right off the the bone. I think it’s a decently forgiving recipe in terms of experimenting with your own spices as well, as my boyfriend and I did experiment a bit
Would 100% make again
Jess on 2024-12-20 (5 stars): I completely forgot to buy mushrooms but saw in another comment that someone had substituted carrots instead. Can confirm it works well with carrots, and I threw in some green beans in the last 10 min of cooking for some easy extra veg.
I have made it in the past when I was dairy free substituting Nuttelex instead of butter and coconut cream instead of cream, but I reckon the original recipe is better.
Pip Moon on 2024-11-13 (5 stars): This has become one of my favourite weeknight dishes to go to, it's full of flavour. It's also on my list to cook for my parents and siblings as half cannot eat spice. For those that feel it's a bit bland, add a touch of parmesan to the sauce, but everyone in my house loves it as it is.
Melba on 2024-11-12 (5 stars): I can’t imagine why people are saying it’s bland? This was wonderful!! So savory and rich!
Melba Kesterman on 2024-11-09 (5 stars): This was easy and delicious!!
Kris on 2024-11-03 (5 stars): So tasty and easy. I need to start making more regularly. Yum!
Shez on 2024-11-02 (3 stars): Found this to be very bland, just had no flavour. I didn’t have fresh thyme so used dried, was the only thing I did/used differently.
Mel on 2024-11-02 (5 stars): Delicious...just made this...it's simmering now!
Kimberly Powell on 2024-10-27 (5 stars): Absolutely delicious! There was extra liquid as I read in the reviews so once done simmering the chicken, I took the chicken out and then added one cup of orzo to the liquid and cooked it to al dente and then added the cream and spinach. Once the spinach, I added the chicken back in. Worked great as a one pot skillet meal, which is a huge help when living in a tiny camper with a tiny stove!
Justin on 2024-10-13 (5 stars): Super good! Maybe I had my heat on too low, but I had to simmer for an additional half an hour after adding the cream to get the sauce nice and thick. Came out amazing.
