This is the perfect cold winter day dish – a rich, savory, creamy broth with chicken. Serve with rice or bread and enjoy. Adapted from Forager Chef

Ingredients

• 4 chicken leg quarters
• 4 t chopped fresh thyme
• 2 T cooking oil
• 1 lb fresh wild mushrooms, cleaned and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 6 oz shallot (2 small), thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 c brandy or cognac
• 2 c chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 c heavy cream or crème fraîche
• 4 t soy sauce
• Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• Fresh chives, chopped, for garnish
• 4 t all-purpose flour
• 4 t butter, melted

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan, combine flour and butter until the form a paste.
2. Cook on medium-high heat, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the mixture smells toasty and has very lightly browned.
3. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
4. Preheat oven to 250 F.
5. Heat oil in a large pan with high sides over medium-high heat.
6. Add chicken legs skin-side down, brown well, then flip and brown the other side.
7. Remove chicken from pan and keep warm in the oven while you make the sauce.
8. Add mushrooms to hot pan without any oil. Dry fry: cook until all the mushroom liquid has released and been reabsorbed/cooked off, and until the mushrooms are slightly browned.
9. Remove from pan and set aside.
10. Add shallots to pan and cook, adding a bit more oil as necessary, until softened.
11. Add mushrooms back to the pan and cook, adding a bit more oil as necessary, until the mushrooms and everything is lightly browned.
12. Add garlic and thyme and cook for half a minute, until aromatic.
13. Increase heat to high and add the brandy.
14. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer until the pan is nearly dry.
15. Add chicken stock and cooked butter-flour mixture, then bring to a simmer.
16. When the sauce has reduced by half, add cream and soy sauce and simmer until thickened.
17. Return chicken and its juices to the pan and simmer skin-side up 4-5 minutes, until a thermometer reads 150F.
18. Serve with sauce spooned on top of the chicken and garnish with chives.