Poulet à la Forestière is a classic French preparation of browned chicken served with mushrooms, salt pork or bacon. The name forestière—“of the forest”—refers to the mushrooms that define the dish.
In Auguste Escoffier’s Le Guide Culinaire, sautéed chicken is prepared with shallots and morels, deglazed with white wine and finished with veal stock. For the traditional presentation, the chicken is surrounded by small clusters of butter-sautéed potatoes, with a browned piece of pork belly placed between each cluster.
Our Home-Kitchen Version:
Our version uses boneless chicken thighs, cremini and shiitake mushrooms, and chicken stock in place of Escoffier’s chicken pieces, morels and veal stock. The thighs cook evenly and remain tender, while the two mushrooms provide plenty of earthy flavor without the expense or seasonal limitations of fresh morels.
Garlic adds depth, and two tablespoons of crème fraîche stirred in at the end give the reduced white-wine sauce a gentle tang and silky finish. The result is tender chicken, richly flavored mushrooms and bacon in a light, creamy sauce. It is French country cooking at its most comforting.
Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless Chicken Thighs
1½ tsp Salt
½ tsp freshly ground Black Pepper
8 oz Cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
6 oz fresh Shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and caps sliced
4 oz thick-cut unsmoked bacon or pancetta , cut crosswise into small lardons
1 large Shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, thinly sliced
1/2 cup dry White Wine
1 cup unsalted or low sodium Chicken Stock
3 Tbsp Butter, divided
2 Tbsp Crème Fraîche
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 375°F
Pat the chicken completely dry and season it on both sides with the salt and pepper.
Place the bacon/pancetta in a large oven-safe sauté pan or shallow Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is browned and crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
Add 1 tablespoon butter to the bacon fat. Arrange the chicken without crowding the pan. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, resisting the temptation to move it, until the chicken is slightly golden and releases easily from the pan. Turn and brown the second side for approximately 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until they have released their moisture and begun to brown. Work in two batches if necessary to prevent crowding.
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for approximately 1 minute, just until softened and fragrant. Do not allow it to burn.
Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly to release the browned cooking residue. Let the wine boil until reduced by approximately half.
Add the chicken stock and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Return the chicken to the pan. Add back the rendered bacon.
Transfer the uncovered pan to the oven and cook for approximately 25 minutes, or until the chicken registers at least 165°F in its thickest part. Boneless thighs will be especially tender closer to 170°F to 175°F.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a warm serving platter. Place the pan over medium-high heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced enough to lightly coat a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, one piece at a time, swirling until incorporated and glossy. Do not allow the sauce to boil after adding the crème fraîche and butter. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper before returning the chicken to the sauce.
Spoon the mushrooms and sauce over and around the chicken, and serve immediately.
To serve the chicken with potatoes, as Escoffier traditionally did, explore How to Make Perfect Sarladaise Potatoes. How to Make Perfect Sarladaise Potatoes
If you enjoy this style of French home cooking, continue with:
Coq au Vin: A Bistro Favorite Made Simple
Beef Bourguignon, Classic French Beef Stew with Red Wine
French Chicken Fricassee: A Simplified Recipe
Braised Beef Short Ribs: Côtes de Bœuf Braisées
Traditional Bouillabaisse-French Seafood Stew, Step by Step.
And of course, My Favorite Recipes
Poulet à la Forestière: French Chicken with Mushrooms
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Heat the oven to 375°F
- Pat the chicken completely dry and season it on both sides with the salt and pepper.
- Place the bacon/pancetta in a large oven-safe sauté pan or shallow Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook until the fat has rendered and the bacon is browned and crisp. Transfer the bacon to a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pan.
- Add 1 tablespoon butter to the bacon fat. Arrange the chicken without crowding the pan. Cook over medium to medium-high heat for 5 minutes, resisting the temptation to move it, until the chicken is slightly golden and releases easily from the pan. Turn and brown the second side for approximately 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Add the cremini and shiitake mushrooms and cook over medium-high heat until they have released their moisture and begun to brown. Work in two batches if necessary to prevent crowding.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallot and garlic and cook for approximately 1 minute, just until softened and fragrant. Do not allow it to burn.
- Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly to release the browned cooking residue. Let the wine boil until reduced by approximately half.
- Add the chicken stock and bring the sauce to a gentle simmer. Return the chicken to the pan. Add back the rendered bacon.
- Transfer the uncovered pan to the oven and cook for approximately 25 minutes, or until the chicken registers at least 165°F in its thickest part. Boneless thighs will be especially tender closer to 170°F to 175°F.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a warm serving platter. Place the pan over medium-high heat and simmer until the sauce has reduced enough to lightly coat a spoon. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the crème fraîche. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons cold butter, one piece at a time, swirling until incorporated and glossy. Do not allow the sauce to boil after adding the crème fraîche and butter. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper before returning the chicken to the sauce.
- Spoon the mushrooms and sauce over and around the chicken, and serve immediately.