Chicken, Wild Mushroom and Roasted-Garlic Sauté

ACTIVE: 40 MIN
TOTAL TIME: 1 HR 45 MIN
SERVINGS: 4

•STAFF-FAVORITE

Marcia Kiesel, a self-described mushroom freak, uses porcini to make her delicious, earthy chicken thigh sauté with roasted garlic cloves. She finishes the dish with a sprinkle of chopped tarragon, which adds a light, herbal sweetness.

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

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.

Suggested Pairing

Red sparkling wines get their intense color from the skins of grapes. Their robust, fruity, earthy flavors tend to pair best with dishes that include dark-meat chicken, cheese or mushrooms. Lambrusco from Italy is the model for this style.

Chicken, Wild Mushroom and Roasted-Garlic Sauté

Suggested Pairing

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