Braised Chicken with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

Feb 5, 2012
Pamela Steed Hill

Braised Chicken with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce - PS Hill

Braising chicken results in tender, juicy meat with great flavor enhanced by a rich sauce made with slightly sweet tomatoes and earthy mushrooms.

Braising chicken pieces takes only about an hour on the stovetop, and it’s mouthwatering good. Smoky bacon, sweet tomatoes and earthy mushrooms all result in a rich, flavorful sauce that cooks slowly along with the chicken.

Canned “chef’s-cut” tomatoes resemble canned stewed tomatoes that are coarsely chopped. If you can’t find the chef’s-cut variety, buy stewed tomatoes and break them into chunks as they begin to cook.

This simple, down-home dish comes together easily with few ingredients and no fuss. To make it even heartier, serve over buttered noodles or steamed white rice.

Braised Chicken with Tomato-Mushroom Sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 thick-cut bacon slices
1 whole frying chicken, about 3 pounds, cut into 8 serving pieces (breasts, legs, thighs and wings), skin removed (except wings)
Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, as needed
2 shallots, sliced into thin rings
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can chef’s-cut tomatoes (or stewed tomatoes, broken into pieces), with juicees reserved
12 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
Chopped fresh Italian flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Directions:

Heat a large, deep skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until the bacon renders about 2 tablespoons of fat and is slightly crispy around the edges, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the bacon, drain on paper towels and tear into small pieces.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the drippings in the skillet. Sear chicken pieces until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes per side. Remove chicken pieces to a plate.
If there is less than 1 tablespoon of fat in the skillet, add a little olive oil. Add the shallots and white wine, scraping up any brown bits as the shallots cook, about 2 minutes, until they are tender and the liquid has reduced.
Add the tomatoes to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a slight simmer and cook 1 minute. Add the cooked bacon to the tomatoes and stir well to combine.
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet, and nestle into the tomato mixture. Reduce the heat to low, cover and braise mixture for 30 minutes. Turn the chicken pieces over and braise, uncovered, 15 minutes longer.
Add the mushrooms to the skillet and stir into the tomato mixture. Continue braising, uncovered, another 15 minutes.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate, allowing two pieces per serving. Spoon the tomato-mushroom sauce on top and around the chicken. Sprinkle parsley on top and serve immediately.