Chicken with Leeks and Mushrooms
Chicken with Leeks is a light, creamy, earthy dish—perfect for whatever spring is dishing out.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 4 – 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (see Kitchen Notes)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon, divided
- olive oil
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms (see Kitchen Notes)
- 2 largish leeks, white and pale green parts, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 large cloves garlic, minced
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 3/4 cup half & half (or cream)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch, if needed
- white rice
Instructions
- Trim excess fat from chicken, then season on both sides with salt, pepper and half the tarragon. Heat oil in a large, lidded sauté pan over medium-high flame—enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, 2 tablespoons or so. Cook chicken skin side down until nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn chicken and reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Add mushrooms to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add leeks to pan, drizzling in a little more oil, if needed (mushrooms can be sponges). Toss to coat with oil and combine with mushrooms. Season with salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Don’t let them brown—reduce heat, if needed.
- Clear a space in the middle of the pan, drizzle in a little more oil, if needed, and add garlic and remaining tarragon to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 45 seconds.
- Add wine and chicken broth to pan, scraping up any browned bits. Return chicken to pan, skin side up, nestling pieces into leek mixture. Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Partially cover pan and cook until chicken is cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to plate. Spoon a little of the pan liquid into the half & half to slightly warm it, adding a tablespoon at a time until you’ve added 4 altogether. This will keep it from curdling when you add it to the pan. Slowly pour the warmed half & half into the pan, stirring to combine. Return chicken to pan and cook, uncovered, for about 5 minutes to combine flavors. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, as needed.
- Meanwhile, cook the rice, trying to time it to be ready when the chicken is done.
- If the pan liquid hasn’t sufficiently thickened into a sauce, mix the tablespoon of cornstarch in a small bowl with a tablespoon of cold water, stirring until it is completely dissolved. Warm the cornstarch mixture by adding a little of the pan juice at a time to the bowl. This will keep it from clotting. Once again transfer the chicken to the plate, tenting it with foil, and slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally for 3 or so minutes, allowing the sauce to thicken.
- Serve. Place some rice and a piece of chicken on each plate. Spoon some of the leek/mushroom mixture over the rice—and the chicken, if desired.
Kitchen Notes
How much chicken? What is it with chicken thigh sizes these days? Sometimes, you get some that are sparrow-sized. Other times, it is clear that birds descended from dinosaurs. Large dinosaurs. All in all, you want 2 pounds or a little more of chicken. Also, the recipe makes a decent amount of sauce, so add a little more chicken, if you like. And feel free to mix it up. We love chicken thighs, but use pieces you have on hand or want to eat.
Picking your mushrooms. Ordinary button mushrooms are fine for this dish. We used them. You can also use crimini mushrooms or something fancier, if you like.
Liz’s Crockery Corner. Marion here. This sweetheart of a transferware plate in the Botanical Beauties pattern comes from England, where it was made and then exported to America, some time around 1845 – 1850. I haven’t seen many examples of this pattern in my life. You can find Botanical Beauties, now and then, featuring one of three flowers—a rose, a sunflower, a lily. The short-lived pottery Elkin and Newbon, which was only in business in 1845 and 1846, created it; after the company’s demise, at least three other potteries knocked it off. I suspect this was made by one of those pirates, because while it has the usual Botanical Beauties blue cartouche on the back, it doesn’t have any additional signs that would identify it as an Elkin and Newbon product—that is, no incised or stamped E&N. It does have some tiny, abstruse, colorless stamps impressed in the back—one seems to be a little starburst. So, overall, this plate is a bit of a mystery, but a charming one. And btw, one day I would love to see the meat platter in this pattern because, in addition to the twining, delicate, very English flowers, it has a man riding a camel.
Liz’s Crockery Corner. Marion here. This sweetheart of a transferware plate in the Botanical Beauties pattern comes from England, where it was made and then exported to America, some time around 1845 – 1850. I haven’t seen many examples of this pattern in my life. You can find Botanical Beauties, now and then, featuring one of three flowers—a rose, a sunflower, a lily. The short-lived pottery Elkin and Newbon, which was only in business in 1845 and 1846, created it; after the company’s demise, at least three other potteries knocked it off. I suspect this was made by one of those pirates, because while it has the usual Botanical Beauties blue cartouche on the back, it doesn’t have any additional signs that would identify it as an Elkin and Newbon product—that is, no incised or stamped E&N. It does have some tiny, abstruse, colorless stamps impressed in the back—one seems to be a little starburst. So, overall, this plate is a bit of a mystery, but a charming one. And btw, one day I would love to see the meat platter in this pattern because, in addition to the twining, delicate, very English flowers, it has a man riding a camel.