When hubby is on his own, he tends to cook really simple food like pasta. Just pasta. Oh and maybe a grating of parmesan cheese if there happens to be some in the fridge. Or he might just boil potatoes. Or he goes all out and raids my cookbook collection to produce something really elaborate and exquisite, and will then cheekily send me a photo to show me what I’m missing out on.

After a recent brief spell on his own, I came home to find a 2kg bag of potatoes in the kitchen. They had been sitting there for a bit and I felt I had to do something with them tonight or else they were destined for the compost.

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, Potatoes & Thyme sounds like a winter comfort dish, but this is something I love to sit down to, whatever the season.

braised chicken in le creuset pot with glass of red wine and white plates with cutlery

What is Braised Chicken?

Braising involves browning the meat first in some oil in a hot pan, and then cooking the meat in a small amount of liquid until it is tender.

Up until a few years ago, it was very difficult to find chicken thighs in Zurich, so I often made this dish with chicken maryland pieces (the thigh with the drumstick attached).

Since then, chicken thighs have become more readily available in Zurich, though they are almost always sold with the skin on and bone in, which makes them perfect for braising.

For a quicker meal, you could use skinless and boneless chicken thigh fillets (as shown in these photos) which require less cooking time.

This is truly a comforting mid-week meal.

braised chicken in cream le creuset pot with glass of red wine
5 stars (1 review)

Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, Potatoes and Thyme

Thanh | Eat, Little Bird
Prep20 minutes
Cook45 minutes
Total1 hour 5 minutes
Serves: 3 to 4
A comforting and nourishing Braised Chicken with Mushrooms, Potatoes & Thyme. The chicken is succulent and tender, and the sauce is delicious served with fresh crusty bread.
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Ingredients

  • 50 g (½ stick) unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 to 4 sprigs thyme
  • 500 g (1 lb) white mushrooms, left whole if small or quartered if large
  • 85 ml (â…“ cup) dry white wine
  • 500 g (1 lb) chicken thighs, with bone and skin
  • 2 tablespoons plain flour, (all-purpose flour)
  • 750 ml (3 cups) chicken stock
  • 6 to 8 large potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 300 g (11 oz) green beans, trimmed
  • 85 ml (â…“ cup) double cream, (heavy cream)
  • sea salt
  • black pepper, freshly cracked

Instructions 

  1. In a large cast-iron pan, heat the butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.
  2. Add the onions, garlic and thyme, together with a pinch of sea salt, and cook for about 5 minutes until the onions have softened.
  3. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until they have softened a little.
  4. Add the wine and cook for about a minute, before removing the contents of the pan to a bowl.
  5. Heat the remaining oil in the pan and brown the chicken thighs, starting with the skin side down first.
  6. Remove the chicken to a plate.
  7. Stir the flour into the pan and cook it for a few minutes.
  8. Add some stock to the pan and stir gently as the sauce thickens, scraping any bits from the bottom of the pan.
  9. Slowly add the rest of the stock, stirring as you do.
  10. Return the mushroom and onion mixture to the pot and add the potatoes.
  11. If you are using chicken thighs with the skin on, sit the chicken thighs on top of the ingredients, and try to keep the meat submerged in the liquid, but the skin should not touch the liquid if you want it to remain crispy.
  12. Turn the heat down to low with the lid partially on.
  13. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the potatoes are cooked. You can test if the potatoes are done by inserting skewer into the middle of a piece. The chicken thighs should have also cooked through during this time, but it is worth checking.
  14. Remove the thyme stalks, by which time all of the leaves will have fallen off.
  15. Stir the cream into the sauce.
  16. Add the beans and cook for about 5 minutes, uncovered, until the beans are tender.
  17. Taste for seasoning.
  18. Serve with fresh crusty bread.

Kitchen Notes

  • You can also use chicken thigh fillets in this recipe, but they will take less time to cook.
  • It’s up to you if you choose to use chicken thighs with or without skin. I find that rendering the fat in the skin adds flavour to the dish.
  • Feel free to use other vegetables in this dish. Carrots, peas and broccoli also work well in this recipe.
  • OVEN & STOVE TEMPERATURES
    All recipes on this website have been tested on an induction stove and/or with a conventional oven (i.e. an oven without fan). All recipes on this website use temperatures for a conventional oven, unless otherwise mentioned. Convection ovens (i.e. fan-forced ovens) are typically 20°C/70°F hotter than conventional ovens, but please check your manufacturer’s handbook.
  • CONVERSIONS
    To convert from cups to grams, and vice-versa, please see this handy Conversion Chart for Basic Ingredients.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 1g, Calories: 514kcal, Carbohydrates: 28g, Protein: 36.4g, Fat: 29.2g, Cholesterol: 162.3mg, Sodium: 413mg, Fiber: 4.7g, Sugar: 9.6g

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