# ISO braised chicken with mushrooms & sauce recipe ideas



## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 8, 2017)

I'm looking for a reasonable braised chicken in mushrooms and sauce recipe suitable for cooking in a covered pan. I have a wok inspired pan (non-stick aluminum, curved sides, flat bottom, glass cover) that I often braise in. -- If necessary I can make one of the French mother sauces as I have both chix broth and milk to base the sauce on. I have:

chicken thighs, skin on
crimeni mushrooms (baby bells)
chix stock or milk (if I have to make the sauce separately)
choice of Marsala, port or white wine for simmering liquid
all the usual spices + S & P
EVOO of course
butter
flour
a yellow onion
mustard and other usual condiments
balsamic vinegar
fresh garlic
fresh tomatoes
sun dried tomatoes in EVOO
Parmesan cheese (grated)

I do not have cream and I'm sorta not well and not willing to drive to market.

I'm thinking something along the lines of dredge chix thighs in seasoned flour and brown, set aside, add EVOO (or butter) and saute the quartered mushrooms and a bit of minced garlic, then return chix and add appropriate liquids and other ingredients.

I'll be happy with just general ideas on which of the above to use. There is no need to suggest amounts of ingredients, I've been cooking long enough and in fact often just add what looks right without measuring. 

I'll appreciate ideas as to which ingredients to use and the gist of the recipe suggestion. BTW I intend to serve with brown rice or maybe baked potato. Thanks in advance!


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 8, 2017)

BTW I have a wide selection of Asian ingredients too, sesame oil, crab paste, shrimp paste, rice vinegar, rice wine, soy sauce, mirin...

I guess if I get no other ideas I can use the mushrooms another day and just make curry sauce...


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## Andy M. (Apr 8, 2017)

Looks like you have enough on hand to provide you with several options.  You could go Italian, Asian or something generic.  

I'd start by browning the thighs and setting them aside then sautéing mushrooms, onions and garlic (and ginger if you want Asian) in oil (sesame oil if you want Asian), deglaze with wine (rice or Marsala).  

Add back the chicken and season according to the style you've chosen.  Braise and finish with splash of the appropriate vinegar and serve over rice (or pasta).


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 8, 2017)

Thank you! I'm looking for options and sort of brainstorming. I have these really nice baby bells and hope to make them the keynote of the chicken dinner.

In fact I love the baby bells so much I don't buy white mushrooms any more. 

I'm sort of tending away from Asian but I'll go that way if I don't get any better ideas.

Sometimes it's fun to just get a mess of ingredients and turn off your logic, turn on your intuition, and then just go with the flow!


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## Cooking Goddess (Apr 8, 2017)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> I'm looking for a reasonable braised chicken in mushrooms...and I'm sorta not well and not willing to drive to market...


Soup. It doesn't take much effort, and it will sooth you if you're feeling poorly. That would be my choice. I know you'll still make whatever YOU want, but they are YOUR ingredients!


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## caseydog (Apr 8, 2017)

Have you ever tried making coq au vin? It is a French classic that is really easy to make. I make it in a cast iron dutch oven, but it can be done in other cookware, and even a crock pot. I use dark meat chicken -- legs and thighs. Sounds like what you have on hand. 

It is a one-pot wonder that is really tasty. 

CD


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 9, 2017)

Soup: I don't like soup, and I had the chicken thighs and very nice looking baby bell mushrooms I wanted to use.

I'll Google coq au vin recipes. Thanks!

I ended up marinating in aji-mirin (basically concentrated rice wine with sugar), rolling in seasoned flour, browned the chicken in EVOO, set aside. Then sauteed the mushroom quarters in butter, returned chix and seasoned with whatever spices I had at hand (basil, etc.) and simmered, served with white rice. It came out good, but not remarkably good. No need for me to write it down, I could easily recreate or expand on it any time.

I'll be trying more variations soon since I like chix thighs, and braising is a very easy cooking method. Just wash the pan and cleanup is done!

Thanks all!


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## caseydog (Apr 9, 2017)

Coq au vin began as peasant food. I love that kind of food. Poor people have always had to be creative, to take cheap ingredients and make something good from them.

Being peasant food also means the recipe is just a framework. You can change it to fit what is available to you at the time. 

CD


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## jennyema (Apr 9, 2017)

Coq au vin is what you should make, for sure ...


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 9, 2017)

Coq au vin sounds like a great idea! I found a recipe that looks good and I'll cook it when I have a few ingredients not currently in my stock.

The recipe I found uses red wine, and I have been drinking mostly Chardonnay, so I'll get a nice Merlot or Cianti and I can enjoy the wine with my dinner.


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## caseydog (Apr 9, 2017)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Coq au vin sounds like a great idea! I found a recipe that looks good and I'll cook it when I have a few ingredients not currently in my stock.
> 
> The recipe I found uses red wine, and I have been drinking mostly Chardonnay, so I'll get a nice Merlot or Cianti and I can enjoy the wine with my dinner.




I usually use a Cabernet Sauvignon, but any decent red will work. IMO, it works best with dark meat -- legs and thighs. 

The first time I ate coq au vin was actually in Paris. I spent a summer in Europe with some classmates, and we were always looking for cheap food. We went to this place that had one menu item per day, and it was served "family style" for a per-person price. That day, it was coq au vin. I think the restaurant lost money on me. I'm sure they never figured this skinny student could eat that much. 

I'm many years... and beers beyond skinny, now. But, still love coq au vin. 

CD


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 9, 2017)

That's great because I always prefer dark meat whether chicken or turkey, although I'll use breast meat for curries although actually I prefer shrimp curries anyway.

I drank beer in my teens and early 20s but during my 20s I lost my taste for beer as I acquired a taste for wine. At first I experimented around but eventually discovered I liked white wine, mostly Chardonnays and Rieslings. Throughout the years since I go through occasional periods experimenting with red wines and whites other than Chardonnay, but always drift back to my tried and true Chardonnay. As I said, when I do go red I prefer Merlot and Chianti. I haven't had any red wine lately so this will be nice to get probably some Merlot and cook the coq au vin recipe.

This one looks good: Chef John's Coq Au Vin

BTW they make a really interesting Riesling in NZ's Marlborough region that tastes to me like half way between Chardonnay and Riesling. I suggest white wine lovers get a Riesling from NZ. I think most NZ wines are produced in this region.


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## caseydog (Apr 9, 2017)

I prefer white wines, too, but I'm not a fan of Chardonnays. I like sweet German wines with fruits and cheese. A good Riesling or Gewürztraminer with fresh strawberries, grapes and cheese is an amazing thing -- a good thing to get couples "in the mood," if you know what I mean. 

Chef John's recipes are pretty reliable, and generally easy to cook. I'd say that is a good recipe for your first coq au vin. 

CD


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 9, 2017)

There is good reason we have diff preferences. I'm a salty/spicy fan, not a sweet fan. One thing I benefit from is that I'm not much into sweet desserts so my anti-sweet tooth saves me calories.

For that reason I like dry wines not sweet wines.


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## Just Cooking (Apr 10, 2017)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> That's great because I always prefer dark meat whether chicken or turkey, although I'll use breast meat for curries although actually I prefer shrimp curries anyway.
> 
> I drank beer in my teens and early 20s but during my 20s I lost my taste for beer as I acquired a taste for wine. At first I experimented around but eventually discovered I liked white wine, mostly Chardonnays and Rieslings. Throughout the years since I go through occasional periods experimenting with red wines and whites other than Chardonnay, but always drift back to my tried and true Chardonnay. As I said, when I do go red I prefer Merlot and Chianti. I haven't had any red wine lately so this will be nice to get probably some Merlot and cook the coq au vin recipe.
> 
> This one looks good: Chef John's Coq Au Vin



Watched the video and decided to put this together today... 
Thanks for the suggestion...


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## jennyema (Apr 10, 2017)

I usually use a pinot noir and soak the chicken overnight in the wine when I make coq au vin


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## Just Cooking (Apr 10, 2017)

jennyema said:


> I usually use a pinot noir and soak the chicken overnight in the wine when I make coq au vin




I have prepped the chicken that way in the past... It seems that the older I get, the simpler I cook.. I'll know later if simplicity works for Jeannie and myself...


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## taxlady (Apr 10, 2017)

As soon as I saw the title of the thread I thought "coq au vin". So, since that has been suggested, how about what Julia Child called coq au vin's sister dish, chicken cacciatore. I remember seeing one of her cooking episodes that featured both of those chicken dishes, but I can't find it.


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 10, 2017)

Just Cooking said:


> Watched the video and decided to put this together today...
> Thanks for the suggestion...


I will appreciate if you will reply to this topic and tell us how your meal came out. 

I'm going to try it in perhaps a few days. I'm switching to eating different creatures tonight!


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## Just Cooking (Apr 10, 2017)

Just had it for dinner with garlic mashed and butter/soy sauce sauteed green beans..
To us, it was delicious.. I've made it the full way and this was easier and pretty darn wonderful.. I did adjust things a bit.. No shallots, used TJ's Mushroom Medley and a 187ml bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon.. I will do it again, just this way...

Ross


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 10, 2017)

Thanks JC! I don't have all the ingrediments so I'll buy some shallots and whatever else it takes.

I'll update the topic when I have cooked the recipe myself.


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## caseydog (Apr 10, 2017)

I've actually never made it with shallots. I use whatever onions I have -- I always have onions in the house. The great thing about peasant food is you can use what you have. That's what they did. 

But, then again, I treat recipes as a basic framework, and do whatever I feel like doing that particular day. Usually works... usually. 

CD


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## Greg Who Cooks (Apr 10, 2017)

Well I need other ingrediments so no prob to grab a few shallots too. The real deal breaker is I have no red wine, so as long as I'm at the market might as well grab a few shallots.

A lot of the time I get hungry and I just open my fridge and pantry and ask myself, "What dinners do I see here?"

Alas, tonight it was the nuke option... not motivated enough to actually cook.


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## caseydog (Apr 10, 2017)

Greg Who Cooks said:


> Alas, tonight it was the nuke option... not motivated enough to actually cook.



LOL, today was pretty much the same for me. I am "grazing" tonight. I just grab something in the fridge, and eat it. I have a bunch or tortillas in the fridge. You can put just about anything on a tortilla and it will work. 

CD


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## Just Cooking (Apr 11, 2017)

Two thumbs up for Greg and Caseydog...


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