Poulet Chasseur

Cooking is about frame of mind for me. I like to connect to real or imagined origins of a dish. The name for this dish translates to "Hunter's Chicken". I imagine a hunter, with what he has in his pack and what he's found in the woods, cooking over a fire. Simple, flavorful, ok, I just don't know where he got the chicken!

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp (½ oz/14gr) butter

1 chicken, cup up into pieces

1 onion (6oz/170g), chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

7-8 oz mushrooms, thick slice

3/4 cup red wine (be generous)

2 Tbsps tomato paste

2 springs of thyme

2 cups chicken stock

1. Heat the oil and the butter in a large lidded casserole. Season the chicken, then fry for about 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Add the onion to the pan and fry for about 5 minutes, until soft. 
3. Add the garlic, cook for 1 minute, then add the mushrooms, cook for 2 minutes or until the mushrooms 'sweat', then add the wine. 
4. Stir in the tomato paste. Let the sauce simmer and reduce for about 5 minutes, then stir in the thyme and pour over the stock. 
5. Slip the chicken back into the pan, then cover and simmer on a low heat for about 1 hour, whereupon the chicken will be very tender. The chicken will be ready when the internal temperature of the breasts reaches 165°F. 
6. Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Rapidly boil down the sauce until it's syrupy and the flavour has concentrated, about 10 minutes. Put the chicken legs back into the sauce and serve.