Poulet au Vin Blanc

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Prepare all ingredients first so the cooking stays efficient: pat the chicken dry, season it all over with the salt and black pepper, then dust lightly with the flour. Peel and finely slice the shallots, mince the garlic, trim and slice the mushrooms, and pick the tarragon leaves; roughly chop half and leave the rest for finishing.

   500 g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs5 g fine sea salt2 g black pepper12 g plain flour120 g shallots2 garlic cloves200 g button or cremini mushrooms10 g fresh tarragon
2. 2

   In a wide sauté pan or shallow casserole over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the chicken skin-side down and brown for 5-6 minutes until the skin is deep golden and releases easily from the pan. Turn and brown the second side for 2 minutes more, then remove to a plate. Do not crowd the pan; good colour builds flavour.

   25 g unsalted butter500 g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
3. 3

   Lower the heat to medium. Add the shallots and mushrooms to the same pan and cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms give up their moisture and start to colour. Add the garlic and chopped tarragon and cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

   120 g shallots200 g button or cremini mushrooms2 garlic cloves10 g fresh tarragon
4. 4

   Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan thoroughly to dissolve the browned bits. Simmer briskly for 3-4 minutes to reduce the wine by about one third; the raw alcohol smell should mellow noticeably.

   200 ml dry white wine
5. 5

   Stir in the chicken stock and Dijon mustard until smooth. Return the chicken to the pan, skin-side up, along with any juices from the plate. Adjust the heat so the liquid gently simmers, then cover loosely and cook for 18-20 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked and reaches at least 75 C at the thickest part near the bone.

   150 ml chicken stock10 g Dijon mustard500 g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
6. 6

   Transfer the chicken briefly to a warm plate. Add the double cream to the pan and simmer uncovered for 2-3 minutes until the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Return the chicken to the sauce for 1 minute to glaze it without softening the skin too much.

   80 ml double cream500 g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
7. 7

   Scatter over the remaining tarragon and serve immediately with the mushrooms and white wine cream sauce spooned around the chicken.

   10 g fresh tarragon

Origin & History

Poulet au vin blanc is part of the family of French wine-braised chicken dishes, related to the more widely known coq au vin but lighter and more delicate in character. Versions appear across French home cooking, especially where white wine, cream, mushrooms, and herbs such as tarragon are common pantry staples. It reflects the classic French habit of building a pan sauce directly from browned meat, wine, stock, and cream.