Gratineed Chicken in Cream Sauce (Poulet a la Fermiere)
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 14
- Serves:
-
4
ingredients
- 2 lbs chicken thighs or 2 lbs chicken drumsticks (or both)
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 6 sprigs fresh parsley
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf (not California)
- 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1 inch-thick slices
- 2 cups frozen small whole onions, thawed and patted dry
- 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
- 1⁄3 cup chicken broth
- 1 lb small boiling potato, peeled and halved (1 1/2-inch)
- 2⁄3 cup creme fraiche
- 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
- 1 cup coarsely grated gruyere
-
Special equipment
- 1 small square cheesecloth
directions
- Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Heat butter in a 12-inch ovenproof deep heavy sauté pan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken all over, in batches if necessary, 8 to 10 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate and cover.
- Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.
- Tie parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni, then add to pan with carrots and onions, stirring to coat with fat.
- Add wine and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
- Add broth and chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
- Add potatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
- Preheat broiler.
- Discard bouquet garni.
- Stir in crème fraîche, peas, and salt and pepper to taste, then turn chicken in sauce to coat.
- Sprinkle dish all over with Gruyère and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until browned and sauce is bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Makes 4 servings.
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Reviews
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I love this recipe - I've made it 2x now - once using sour cream and once using the creme fraishe - both are good. The very french sounding name makes this recipe sound kind of intimidating, but it's actually really easy. And if you're a bum like I am, you don't even have to use the sache of herbs - just toss them in. This recipe ends up something like a chicken stew with a white cream sauce. It's so tasty and complex, and super easy to throw together.
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I've made this many times and it's sooooo good!! Highly recommended! It is not hard to make so don't be intimidated. I substitute 1 medium sweet onion cut into large chunks for the frozen onions. If you can't find creme fraiche just use sour cream or heavy cream (about 1/3 cup), or make your own creme fraiche with Recipe #51727.
Tweaks
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I've made this many times and it's sooooo good!! Highly recommended! It is not hard to make so don't be intimidated. I substitute 1 medium sweet onion cut into large chunks for the frozen onions. If you can't find creme fraiche just use sour cream or heavy cream (about 1/3 cup), or make your own creme fraiche with Recipe #51727.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Bev I Am
United States
I joined Food.com when the site was RecipeZaar, April 24, 2001. This site has been a favorite with me for many years now with its unique features and especially for the many, many dear friends I have met here. If you are a new visitor, I hope you will stop for a while and check us out. I hope you will find it as special as I have.