Gratineed Chicken In Cream Sauce (poulet A La Fermiere)

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 lbs chicken thighs or 2 lbs chicken drumsticks (or both)
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 6 sprigs fresh parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 bay leaf (not california)
• 4 carrots, cut diagonally into 1 inch-thick slices
• 2 cups frozen small whole onions, thawed and patted dry
• 1/2 cup dry wine
• 1/3 cup chicken broth
• 1 lb small boiling potato, peeled and halved (1 1/2-inch)
• 2/3 cup creme fraiche
• 1 cup frozen baby peas, thawed
• 1 cup coarsely grated gruyere
• 1 small square cheesecloth

Recipe

• 1 pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
• 2 heat butter in a 12-inch ovenproof deep heavy sauté pan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken all over, in batches if necessary, 8 to 10 minutes.
• 3 transfer to a plate and cover.
• 4 pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from pan.
• 5 tie parsley, thyme, and bay leaf in cheesecloth to make a bouquet garni, then add to pan with carrots and onions, stirring to coat with fat.
• 6 add wine and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes.
• 7 add broth and chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from plate, and simmer, covered, 10 minutes.
• 8 add potatoes and salt and pepper to taste and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through and potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes.
• 9 preheat broiler.
• 10 discard bouquet garni.
• 11 stir in crème fraîche, peas, and salt and pepper to taste, then turn chicken in sauce to coat.
• 12 sprinkle dish all over with gruyère and broil 4 to 5 inches from heat until browned and sauce is bubbling, 3 to 4 minutes.
• 13 makes 4 servings.