Braised Chicken with Mushrooms Looks as Good as It Tastes
Sometimes you can just look at a dish and know it’s going to be delicious. This braised chicken looks glorious. It’s got so many shades of deep, savory brown — the most delicious corner of the color wheel — from light golden, through caramel, to the rich, dark color of sautéed mushrooms. I took one look at that photo and wanted to dunk a piece of bread right through my computer screen.
The ingredients in the sauce do not disappoint. It starts with crispy, chopped bacon, which is always a winner, then uses the rendered bacon fat to sear the skin of chicken thighs until they’re nice and crispy. Sliced mushrooms guarantee that this dish will be extra savory and filling. Fresh herbs, caramelized shallots, and garlic add a ton of flavor, and a bit of wine cuts the sauce, and makes sure the flavors stay intense and savory, but not too heavy or greasy.
Browning the ingredients on the stovetop gives the dish a variety of textures and lets you create a huge range of intense flavors with each step. Putting everything back in the pan and letting it braise in the oven brings the flavors together and makes sure the chicken and mushrooms absorb as much of it as they can. Recipes like this are a huge part of the reason oven-safe skillets and Dutch ovens are such a great thing to have in a kitchen.
The brothy, umami-rich sauce that comes out of your oven is so full of mushrooms, bacon, wine, and fresh herbs that you’ll be tempted to eat it with a spoon. But get some good, crusty bread to go with this dinner instead. It’s a more delicious way to sop up the rest of the sauce, and you’re less likely to leave any drops behind.
Get the Recipe: Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, Bacon and Herbs from The Daley Plate
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