Classically inspired and with plenty of comfort-food appeal, tonight’s recipe is winter cooking done right. We're serving chicken with buttery mashed potatoes and a hearty sauté of mushrooms and kale. (Depending on what's best near you, your kale may be dark green Lacinato or lighter green curly.) Rich crème fraîche and tangy verjus—the juice of young wine grapes—brings it all together, while fresh thyme makes for a rustic, woodsy finish.
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- 10 oz Red Potatoes
- 4 oz Cremini Mushrooms
- 1 Kale
- 1 Thyme
- 3 tbsp All-Purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp Butter
- 2 tbsp Crème Fraîche
- 2 tbsp Verjus Blanc
Instructions
Instructions
Prepare the ingredients:
Wash and dry the fresh produce. Heat a small pot of salted water to boiling on high. Large dice the potatoes. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Remove and discard the kale stems; roughly chop the leaves. Pick the thyme leaves off the stems; discard the stems and roughly chop the leaves.
Cook & mash the potatoes:
Add the potatoes to the pot of boiling water and cook 13 to 15 minutes, or until tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat. Drain thoroughly and return to the pot. Add the butter. Using a fork, mash to your desired consistency; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside in a warm place.
Coat & cook the chicken:
While the potatoes cook, place the flour on a plate. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on both sides. Thoroughly coat the seasoned chicken in the flour (tapping off any excess). In a large, high-sided pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the coated chicken and cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place.
Brown the mushrooms:
Add the mushrooms to the pan of reserved fond. (If the pan seems dry, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil.) Cook on medium-high, stirring occasionally, 4 to 6 minutes, or until browned and softened. Season with salt and pepper.
Add the kale:
Add the kale, verjus, crème fraîche and ½ cup of water to the pan (be careful, as the liquid may splatter); season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping up any fond from the bottom of the pan, 3 to 5 minutes, or until the kale has wilted and the liquid has cooked off.
Finish & plate your dish:
Add the cooked chicken and up to half the thyme to the pan; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. Remove from heat; season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide the finished chicken and vegetables and mashed potatoes between 2 dishes. Garnish with as much of the remaining thyme as you’d like. Enjoy!