French Casserole Chicken

Name: French Casserole Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 60 min
Total time: 80 min
Yield: 5 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs or whole legs; 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2 tart apples, cored and chopped; 4 celery ribs with leaves, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; 4 sprigs parsley; ⅓ cup dry white wine; 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; 1 ½ cups chicken stock or broth; ½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche; 2 teaspoons minced tarragon; Salt and black pepper to taste

Cuisine:French

Course:Dinner

20m prep 1h 0m cook 1h 20m ready

4 to 6 servings This dish was originally intended for cooking old stewing chickens. Marion Becker’s original headnote wryly stated “Whenever we see one of our contemporaries trying to regain her youthful allure with gaudy sartorial trappings, we think of a dish we found in a collection of college alumnae recipes, called ‘Suprême of Old Hen.’ ” These days, most chickens are so young and tender that we have changed the recipe to use all thighs. If you are in fact using a stewing hen, plan on braising it for much longer than this recipe instructs, until very tender.

Collect

Gather these ingredients - no prep needed yet.

2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs or whole legs
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tart apples, cored and chopped
4 celery ribs with leaves, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 sprigs parsley
⅓ cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche
2 teaspoons minced tarragon
Salt and black pepper to taste

Let's Cook

Step 1.

Have ready: 2 ½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs or whole legs
Step 2.

Sprinkle with: 2 teaspoons salt; 1 teaspoon black pepper
Step 3.

Heat in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Step 4.

Add the chicken in batches and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add to the pot and sauté until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes: 2 tart apples, cored and chopped; 4 celery ribs with leaves, chopped; 1 onion, chopped; 4 sprigs parsley
Step 5.

Add: ⅓ cup dry white wine
Step 6.

Scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot. Add and stir to combine: 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Step 7.

Return the chicken to the pot along with: 1 ½ cups chicken stock or broth
Step 8.

Bring the liquid to a boil, cover the pot tightly, and gently simmer over low heat until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 175° to 180°F, about 45 minutes.
Step 9.

Transfer the chicken to a serving dish, strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, and return to medium-high heat to reduce the sauce by one-third to thicken. Skim any fat from the surface with a spoon. Take off the heat and whisk in: ½ cup sour cream or crème fraîche; 2 teaspoons minced tarragon; Salt and black pepper to taste
Step 10.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve.