Hen Chasseur (chasseur is French for “hunter”) is a traditional French dish made with items of rooster cooked in a wealthy mushroom and tomato sauce laced with a touch of brandy, completed with contemporary tarragon. It’s rustic and cosy, and it was the primary recipe I realized to grasp at cooking college again in France.
Nagi’s Notes
It is a special occasion and a really particular dish – JB’s debut recipe as the primary and solely contributor on my web site! His Hen Chasseur is so good, it truly made me cease mid-bite and say, “Wait – why have I by no means made this earlier than?” It’s the form of dish that tastes such as you’ve been cooking all day, but it surely’s surprisingly low-effort – and that sauce! Wealthy and savoury, the key ingredient is a splash of brandy that units it aside from common stews. JB calls it “only a easy hunter’s rooster” – I name it French consolation meals magic!!
Hen Chasseur
Hello everybody, thanks on your heat welcome. I’m excited to share my first recipe – Hen Chasseur!
If you first take a look at it, it might remind you of Hen Fricassée. Each are gently cooked in a savoury sauce, however whereas Fricassée is creamier and extra delicate, the Chasseur has a deeper and richer flavour because of the addition of tomato paste, brandy, and beef inventory. The result’s a comforting dish that’s certainly one of my favourites to prepare dinner at house regularly, an ideal weekend meal to share with associates or household.
Elements
Listed here are the components it’s good to make Hen Chasseur.
1. rooster
Keep on with bone-in, skin-on rooster for real-deal Chasseur. In France, we don’t fiddle with dry breasts when there’s sauce this good concerned (I’m solely kidding, see the recipe card for instructions).
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Hen items – Utilizing bone-in, skin-on rooster items is finest for Hen Chasseur. The pores and skin provides further flavour when browned firstly, and cooking on the bone retains the meat juicy and tender. (You may as well use boneless thighs or breasts; simply scale back the cooking time, instructions within the recipe card).
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Flour – For Chasseur, the rooster items are coated in flour to create a pleasant golden crust. The residual flour within the pan additionally helps thicken the sauce.
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Oil and butter – You’ll want each, as butter alone burns rapidly. The oil handles the warmth and the butter provides flavour. The French would by no means skip it, neither must you.
2. Chasseur Sauce
The Hen Chasseur sauce is wealthy and filled with flavour, utilizing components like brandy, white wine, tomato paste and beef inventory. You’ll eat all of it and ask for extra!
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Brown onions – They type the fragrant base of the sauce.
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Mushrooms – The normal vegetable on this dish.
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Garlic – Enhances the richness of the sauce. It’s a small factor, but it surely goes a good distance in French cooking.
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Brandy – A signature transfer for a real Chasseur. It brings heat, however only a splash, I don’t need you crawling underneath the desk! And don’t go fancy right here! I used an affordable brandy, there is no such thing as a want to make use of an costly one for cooking. As soon as it hits the pan, the harshness burns off and also you’re left with that pretty heat. A lot of the alcohol cooks out and I grew up consuming this as a child in France. You possibly can exclude for non-alcoholic however the sauce will likely be lacking a little bit of the flavour that makes this Chasseur.
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White wine – Chardonnay is my favorite for cooking due to the flavours it add to dishes and it’s the wine that was probably the most generally used at eating places I labored at in France. We use it for deglazing in Hen Chasseur. Substitute with low-sodium beef inventory for a non-alcoholic model.
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Tomato paste – Provides physique and delicate acidity. It’s the key to the sauce’s color and stability. You’ll discover Chasseur recipes utilizing tomato in several type. I like paste right here for its focus of flavour and deep tone with out further liquid.
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Beef inventory/broth – We use beef inventory as an alternative of rooster as a result of it provides the sauce a deeper, richer flavour and correct depth. Deal with your self and make it with home made beef inventory should you can!
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Butter – Extra butter, as a result of it’s French in any case. That is to complete the sauce. The butter must be chilly and lower into small items which is then slowly melted into the new sauce. It is a traditional restaurant method that makes the sauce shiny, rounds the flavours and thickens it barely.
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Tarragon – This herb is a French favorite. A signature contact that makes this “Chasseur” fairly than an everyday stew.
The right way to make Hen Chasseur
I do know you have been on a “hunt” for a superb Hen Chasseur recipe, no want to attend any longer! The rooster items are browned in butter, then braised in a wealthy tomato and beef broth sauce with mushrooms. Completed with freshly chopped tarragon, so good it ought to be unlawful.
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Put together the rooster – Pat the rooster dry with paper towels to take away floor moisture. This helps the pores and skin brown correctly and prevents splatter. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Coat in flour, shaking off extra. This helps develop a golden crust and thickens the sauce later.
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Brown the rooster – Warmth oil in a big (30cm/12″) lidded skillet over medium-high. No lid? Use a tray. Don’t fear if the lid doesn’t match snugly, so long as it traps sufficient steam so uncovered rooster will steam-cook that’s all you want.
As soon as the oil is sizzling, soften the butter till foamy, then add rooster thighs skin-side down. Sear 5 minutes till golden, flip and prepare dinner 1 minute. Switch to a plate. Add drumsticks, brown on 3 sides (about 2 minutes per aspect), then add to plate. Be aware when searing skin-on rooster items, the pores and skin can pop and sizzling oil might splash.
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Sauté the greens – In the identical pan, improve the warmth to excessive and add the mushrooms and onions. Cook dinner for five minutes, stirring often, till the mushrooms begin to wilt. Add the garlic and prepare dinner for 30 seconds till aromatic.
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Deglaze and construct the sauce – Pour within the brandy. In case you like, fastidiously flambé (ignite) and let the flame die out naturally in about 10 seconds because the alcohol burns off. In any other case, simply let it bubble away for 20–30 seconds – it achieves the identical consequence. Flambéing isn’t important, it’s merely about burning off the alcohol, and including just a little theatre to your cooking!
Add the white wine and let it scale back by half. Use a wood spoon to scrape up the fond (the browned bits caught to the underside), that is what makes your sauce wealthy and sophisticated. Stir within the tomato paste and prepare dinner for 1 minute. Then add the inventory, salt, and pepper.
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Simmer the Hen – Return the rooster to the pan, skin-side up, nestling it into the sauce. Carry to a simmer, then scale back the warmth to medium-low. You need the liquid to be simmering – not a sluggish simmer and never a fast simmer, only a common simmer.
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Cowl with a lid – Cook dinner for 10 minutes. Take away the lid and simmer uncovered for an extra 20 minutes, permitting the sauce to cut back and focus whereas the rooster finishes cooking.
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End the sauce – Switch the cooked rooster to a plate. Flip the warmth to medium-high and scale back the sauce for 3 minutes. Flip off the warmth and stir in chilly butter cubes, a couple of at a time, a traditional cooking method that thickens the sauce barely and offers it a silky, shiny end.
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Serving – Carry the sauce to a delicate simmer once more. Return the rooster to the sauce. Sprinkle with contemporary tarragon and serve with creamy mashed potato.
The right way to Serve Hen Chasseur
Serve it over mashed potatoes (or cauliflower mash for a low-carb model). It’s additionally pretty with plain rice.
Pair it with roasted greens, sautéed inexperienced beans, simple roasted potatoes, roasted asparagus, a French bistro salad, or some leafy greens tossed with French French dressing. Don’t neglect some crusty bread to mop out all that tremendous sauce!
Hen Chasseur is particular to me as a result of it’s the primary recipe I realized at cookery college and it’s a timeless French traditional that at all times jogs my memory of house. I actually hope you’ll like it as a lot as we do. Please depart a remark and share your suggestions!
À bientôt! – JB
Watch how one can make it
FAQ – Hen Chasseur (JB’s debut recipe!)
Sure, simply use gluten free flour as an alternative of plain flour!
Nagi and I took the photographs collectively although I took the lead with the styling, then we edited them collectively. I’m nonetheless studying – there’s an extended method to go! I filmed the video myself which was then edited by Herron, our video editor who additionally edits the movies Nagi movies!
It is a recipe I do know from college that I realized once I was a young person. I’ve been making it for years, it’s a recipe I do know very nicely and I’ve been tweaking it over time to be good for my palette.
After I wrote up the recipe and examined it a couple of instances, I requested Nagi to make it to double verify that I had written it appropriately. She didn’t encounter any points, we solely needed to make a couple of tweaks to make sure it’s foolproof, for instance, ensuring the sauce is the proper thickness.
She even made it once more as we speak for my lunch as a result of I needed to take a greater picture of the sauce!
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Hen Chasseur
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook dinner: 45 minutes
Whole: 1 hour
Primary
French
Servings4
Faucet or hover to scale
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Directions
Hen
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Season the rooster – Pat the rooster dry totally with paper towels. This removes floor moisture, permitting the pores and skin to brown correctly and avoiding splatter. Season with salt and pepper on all sides. Coat in flour, shaking off extra. This helps develop a golden crust and likewise thickens the sauce later.
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Brown the Hen – Warmth vegetable oil in a big (30cm/12″) skillet (with lid) over medium-high warmth. Add butter, as soon as melted and foaming, place thighs skin-side down. Sear for five minutes till golden and crispy. Flip and prepare dinner the opposite aspect for 1 minute. Switch to a plate. Add the drumsticks and brown them on 3 sides, about 2 minutes per aspect. Don’t rush this step – browning provides depth of flavour. Switch drumsticks to the plate with the thighs. ⚠️ Be aware when searing skin-on rooster items, the pores and skin can pop and sizzling oil might splash.
Chasseur Sauce
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Onion and mushrooms – In the identical pan, improve the warmth to excessive and add the mushrooms and onions. Cook dinner for five minutes, stirring often, till the mushrooms begin to wilt.
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Garlic and tomato – Add the garlic and prepare dinner for 30 seconds till aromatic. Stir within the tomato paste, prepare dinner for 1 minute.
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Brandy – Pour within the brandy. Fastidiously flambé (ignite) if desired – let it burn till the flame dies out by itself (~10 seconds). Flambéing intensifies the aroma – and places on a present! Or just let it bubble for 20–30 seconds till the alcohol burns off.
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Wine and inventory – Add the white wine. Let it simmer quickly to cut back by half. Use a wood spoon to scrape up the fond (the browned bits caught to the underside), which is a vital ingredient to the creation of our sauce. It is going to make it wealthy and sophisticated. Then add the inventory, salt, and pepper.
Cooking
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Simmer – Return the rooster to the pan skin-side up, nestling them into the inventory. Carry the sauce to a simmer, then scale back the warmth to medium (effervescent consistently however not quickly). Cowl with a lid and simmer for 10 minutes. Then take away the lid and simmer uncovered for an extra 20 minutes. This enables the sauce to cut back and focus whereas the rooster finishes cooking.
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Cut back sauce barely – Switch the cooked rooster to a plate. Flip the warmth to medium-high, and simmer the sauce for 3 minutes to cut back barely.
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End the sauce – Flip off the warmth. Scatter half the COLD butter cubes in then stir till melted. Scatter the remainder of the butter cubes in then stir once more till melted. It is a traditional emulsification method that offers the sauce a silky, shiny end (monter au beurre) in addition to thickening it barely.
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Serve – Carry the sauce to a delicate simmer once more. Return the rooster to the sauce and sprinkle over the contemporary tarragon. Take it to the desk and serve out of the pan with creamy mashed potato.
Recipe Notes:
For rooster breast, use 4 breasts and cut up in half horizontally to make 8 steaks. Observe recipe as written to mud the rooster with flour. Sear till floor is golden and take away. Simmer the sauce with out the rooster for 10 minutes then add the rooster (overlap to suit as wanted) and simmer for five minutes. Proceed with recipe.
2. Brandy – A signature transfer for a real Chasseur. It brings heat, however only a splash, I don’t need you crawling underneath the desk! And don’t go fancy right here! I used an affordable brandy, there is no such thing as a want to make use of an costly one for cooking. As soon as it hits the pan, the harshness burns off and also you’re left with that pretty heat. A lot of the alcohol cooks out and I grew consuming this as a child in France. You possibly can exclude for non-alcoholic however the sauce will likely be lacking a little bit of the flavour that makes this Chasseur.
3. Wine – Chardonnay is my favorite for cooking due to the flavours it add to dishes and it’s the wine that was probably the most generally used at eating places I labored at in France. We use it for deglazing in Hen Chasseur. Substitute with low-sodium beef inventory for a non-alcoholic model.
4. Tarragon – This herb is a French favorite. A signature contact that makes this “Chasseur” fairly than an everyday stew. In case you can’t discover it, use parsley with a little bit of crushed fennel seeds.
5.The skillet we use is a 30cm / 12″ extensive, Le Creuset. In case you don’t have a lid, simply pop a baking tray on it in the course of the simmering section. And it’s okay should you don’t have the right dimension, simply use the closest that you’ve got. In case you end-up with uncovered rooster, it would steam-cook.
CHEF JB’S TIPS
Make forward – This style as scrumptious the following day. Reheat gently, add a splash of inventory or water if the sauce is just too thick.
Freezing – Freezes nicely for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge then reheat gently.
Browning – It is a essential step, a pleasant golden crust means tons of flavours within the sauce. It’s the muse of the entire dish. And grasp your warmth, should you suppose it’s too excessive, decrease it down. We don’t need any burned bits.
Vitamin per serving – an entire thigh plus drumstick (it’s a beneficiant portion dimension!). Excludes mashed potato.
Vitamin Info:
Energy: 854cal (43%)Carbohydrates: 18g (6%)Protein: 53g (106%)Fats: 57g (88%)Saturated Fats: 18g (113%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 11gMonounsaturated Fats: 23gTrans Fats: 1gLdl cholesterol: 291mg (97%)Sodium: 1489mg (65%)Potassium: 1491mg (43%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 814IU (16%)Vitamin C: 10mg (12%)Calcium: 77mg (8%)Iron: 4mg (22%)
Lifetime of Dozer
Dozer paid a go to to his Parisian tailor and he’s all dressed up for his first French meal!
