When creating recipes, I find inspiration in several places. I’ll typically stumble upon traditional recipes while researching random food facts (quite a black hole of information, trust me). Other times, I solicit ideas from friends, or readers via my facebook page, and add potential dishes to a growing list of contenders. But how I created this dish is unique for me, so I’d like to share that story.
I recently stumbled upon a photo on Instagram from Food & Wine’s Chefs Club, a restaurant concept featuring a line-up of visiting chefs. For this particular event, they offered menu items from La Caravelle, a classic French restaurant that closed its NYC doors in 2004. One of their signature dishes, Chicken in Champagne Sauce, was a favorite of the Kennedys; the restaurant re-named the dish Poularde Maison Blanche (“White House Chicken”) when JFK was elected president.
Inspired by that photo, I set out to make my own Chicken in Champagne Sauce. Let me be clear: I did not attempt to recreate this famous dish, but rather, I wanted to make a dish that tasted as good as this picture looks. Considering I’m late to the party and wasn’t able to attend the event (or visit the restaurant before it closed), this may be the closest thing I experience to the dish, and I’m fine with that.
Champagne is the name of a sparkling wine made from grapes grown in the Champagne wine region in Northeast France, fermented under strict guidelines; sparkling wines that don’t feature Champagne grapes, or weren’t produced under the required guidelines, cannot legally be called Champagne. For this recipe, any sparkling white wine will do. Fun fact: the bubbles in sparkling wine are a result of second fermentation, similar to how kombucha achieves its effervescence.
We’re going to brown the chicken to give it a nice texture. Frying up some bacon is an excellent way to whip up a quick cooking fat, add richness to your dish, and create a tasty garnish; it is a technique employed often in French cuisine (Exhibit A: Beef Bourguignon). Pro tip – use bacon ends and pieces, since they’re generally cheaper, and you’re going to chop them up anyway.
Champagne Chicken (Paleo, Primal, Gluten-free, Perfect Health Diet)
8oz bacon ends, coarsely chopped
2-3 lbs chicken thighs and/or drumsticks
salt and pepper to taste
2 shallots, minced (about 1/3 cup minced)
8oz white or crimini mushrooms, sliced
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried tarragon (or 1/2 tsp fresh chopped)
~1 cup champagne or other sparkling wine
~1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream (coconut cream for dairy-free)
chives to garnish, chopped
1. In a large skillet or dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until just crispy, about 6 minutes. As the bacon cooks, pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set on some paper towels to drain.
2. Increase the skillet heat to medium-high, then add the chicken thighs, skin-side down. Brown on each side until golden, about three minutes per side, then remove and set aside (skin-side up). Adjust the heat as needed to prevent burning, and don’t overcrowd the skillet; brown the chicken in batches if needed (I was able to fit them all in this 12-inch skillet). If you need more fat to help brown the chicken, add a knob of butter. Once the chicken is browned, remove it and decrease the heat to medium-low, then add the shallots; sauté until starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and sauté until they start to release their liquid, about 4 minutes, stirring often.
3. Stir in the thyme and tarragon, then return the chicken pieces to the skillet, skin-side up. Pour in equal parts champagne and chicken broth to cover 2/3 of the chicken pieces, about 1 cup each. Bring to a simmer, cover, reduce heat to low, and braise until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 20 minutes.
4. Uncover the skillet and increase heat to medium. Remove the chicken and set aside. Simmer the sauce until reduced by a third, about 6 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream, remove from heat, and add salt and pepper to taste. Return the chicken to the skillet, spoon the sauce over the chicken, garnish with the bacon pieces and chives, and serve.
The Domestic Man 
This looks amazing! I’ve just started a vegan trial and now want chicken. Thanks! haha :)
Tania @ http://www.thegammonkitchen.wordpress.com
LikeLike
:D there is a whole list by healthy eat (I cover it in the post here: https://leckerbiss.com/2015/12/30/last-call-get-those-bottles-of-champagne-now/) what you can do with left-over champagne from New Year’s Eve – you just provided a 7th idea… Nice post!
LikeLike
Wow, you read my mind. I have all the ingredients. Tomorrows dinner has been decided and i will have a very happy family.
LikeLike
I made this today, yes I already made it, and it was REALLY good. It was so flavorful. The only thing I did different was use a sparkeling french white wine because it was cheaper. Also, I added some white rice flour to thicken the sauce so that it would work as a gravey for the mashed potatoes. So good. Thank you.
LikeLike
Looks really delicious!
LikeLike
We are huge fans of one pan chicken skillets! When we had a minuscule kitchen in Sevilla we made a garlic chicken with white wine sauce- we have to do an updated throwback with your recipe- love the pic with the potatoes and asparagus!
LikeLike
These pictures are gorgeous and the chicken looks heavenly! Thanks for sharing! Julia – http://bunnybaubles.com
LikeLike
That looks DELICIOUS!!!! Can’t wait to try it!!
LikeLike
I made this last night and it turned out great! We paired it with white rice and prosciutto wrapped asparagus and it was a hit! Thanks for the awesome recipe :)
LikeLike
This looks absolutely delicious! Any way that I can slip in a little champagne or wine into my recipes is always a bonus :)
Thanks for sharing.
http://www.itscheatdayeveryday.com/
LikeLike
I used to make almost the identical recipe from the Washington Post back in the early 1980s. Was called “New Years Chicken”.
LikeLike
I tried this and found it to be a lot of hassle, definitely not a weeknight meal, and ok but not super tasty for the work/$ put in. I much prefer Russ’s awesome chicken piccata recipe. I really wanted to like this one, but no, it’s a pass for us.
LikeLike
This is a great recipe, I tried it today :)
LikeLike
I made this today, subbing in coconut milk for the heavy cream, and served over zucchini…this was absolutely to die for delicious!
LikeLike
This recipe was terrific! Wanted something a bit fancier for my husband’s birthday but still compliant with the AIP diet he’s been on. Thanks so much Russ for your incredible recipes that help him feel like he can actually do this diet and even enjoy it! I paired it with glazed carrots and asparagus with shallots and lemon zest. SO good!!
LikeLike
Nicole, that sounds excellent – thanks for sharing! :)
LikeLike