Chicken, Wild Mushroom and Roasted-Garlic Sauté

• STAFF-FAVORITE

Ingredients

1. 1 large head of garlic, top fourth cut off
2. 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
3. 1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms
4. 3/4 cup boiling water
5. 1 1/2 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
6. Salt and freshly ground pepper
7. 1/2 pound assorted mushrooms, such as stemmed shiitake, cremini and oyster, quartered
8. 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, plus 2 tablespoons chilled
9. 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
10. 1/4 cup dry red wine
11. 1/2 cup chicken stock
12. 2 medium tomatoes, cut into 1-inch dice
13. 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon
14. Crusty bread, for serving

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Set the head of garlic on a double layer of foil, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil, then wrap in the foil. Roast the garlic until very soft, about 1 hour and 30 minutes. Let cool, then peel, keeping the cloves intact.
2. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl, cover the porcini with the boiling water and let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Rinse the porcini and coarsely chop them; reserve the soaking liquid.
3. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and spread in a single layer in the skillet. Cook over high heat until browned on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the skillet. Add the assorted mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook over moderate heat, stirring a few times, until browned and their liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate.
5. In the skillet, melt the 1 tablespoon of butter in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the red wine and boil over moderately high heat until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Pour in the reserved porcini soaking liquid, stopping before you reach the grit at the bottom. Add the chicken stock, tomatoes, mushrooms, porcini, roasted garlic and chicken and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat. Add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper. Swirl in the 2 tablespoons of chilled butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Serve with crusty bread.