Hen Chasseur (chasseur is French for “hunter”) is a traditional French dish made with items of hen cooked in a wealthy mushroom and tomato sauce laced with a touch of brandy, completed with recent tarragon. It’s rustic and cosy, and it was the primary recipe I discovered to grasp at cooking college again in France.
Nagi’s Notes
This can be 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 really made me cease mid-bite and say, “Wait – why have I by no means made this earlier than?” It’s the sort 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 hen” – I name it French consolation meals magic!!
Hen Chasseur
Hello everybody, thanks to your heat welcome. I’m excited to share my first recipe – Hen Chasseur!
Whenever you first have a look at it, it could 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 one in every of my favourites to prepare dinner at residence regularly, an ideal weekend meal to share with pals or household.
Components
Listed below are the components you might want to make Hen Chasseur.
1. hen
Persist with bone-in, skin-on hen 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 hen items is finest for Hen Chasseur. The pores and skin provides additional flavour when browned at first, and cooking on the bone retains the meat juicy and tender. (You can too use boneless thighs or breasts; simply scale back the cooking time, instructions within the recipe card).
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Flour – For Chasseur, the hen 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 beneath the desk! And don’t go fancy right here! I used an affordable brandy, there isn’t 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 beautiful heat. Many of the alcohol cooks out and I grew up consuming this as a child in France. You may exclude for non-alcoholic however the sauce might 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 essentially the most generally used at eating places I labored at in France. We use it for deglazing in Hen Chasseur. There no want to make use of an costly wine. The flavour and aroma that you simply pay for is basically misplaced throughout cooking. Substitute with low-sodium beef inventory for a non-alcoholic model.
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Tomato paste – Provides physique and mild acidity. It’s the key to the sauce’s color and steadiness. You’ll discover Chasseur recipes utilizing tomato in numerous type. I like paste right here for its focus of flavour and deep tone with out additional liquid.
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Beef inventory/broth – We use beef inventory as a substitute of hen as a result of it offers the sauce a deeper, richer flavour and correct depth. Deal with your self and make it with home made beef inventory in the event you can!
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Butter – Extra butter, as a result of it’s French in spite of everything. That is to complete the sauce. The butter must be chilly and lower into small items which is then slowly melted into the recent sauce. This can be a traditional restaurant approach 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” somewhat than a daily stew.
Find out how to make Hen Chasseur
I do know you have been on a “hunt” for a very good Hen Chasseur recipe, no want to attend any longer! The hen 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 must be unlawful.
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Put together the hen – Pat the hen 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 hen – 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 hen will steam-cook that’s all you want.
As soon as the oil is scorching, soften the butter till foamy, then add hen 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 hen items, the pores and skin can pop and scorching oil could splash.
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Sauté the greens – In the identical pan, improve the warmth to excessive and add the mushrooms and onions. Prepare 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. When 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 a bit theatre to your cooking!
Add the white wine and let it scale back by half. Use a picket 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 hen to the pan, skin-side up, nestling it into the sauce. Convey 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 speedy simmer, only a common simmer.
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Cowl with a lid – Prepare dinner for 10 minutes. Take away the lid and simmer uncovered for an extra 20 minutes, permitting the sauce to scale back and focus whereas the hen finishes cooking.
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End the sauce – Switch the cooked hen to a plate. Flip the warmth to medium-high and scale back the sauce for 3 minutes. Flip off the warmth and stir in COLD butter cubes, just a few at a time, a traditional cooking approach that thickens the sauce barely and offers it a silky, shiny end.
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Serving – Convey the sauce to a mild simmer once more. Return the hen to the sauce. Sprinkle with recent tarragon and serve with creamy mashed potato.
Find out how to Serve Hen Chasseur
Serve it over mashed potatoes (or cauliflower mash for a low-carb model). It’s additionally beautiful 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 overlook 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 discovered at cookery college and it’s a timeless French traditional that all the time jogs my memory of residence. I actually hope you’ll like it as a lot as we do. Please go away 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 a substitute 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 approach to go! I filmed the video myself which was then edited by Herron, our video editor who additionally edits the movies Nagi movies!
This can be a recipe I do know from college that I discovered once I was an adolescent. I’ve been making it for years, it’s a recipe I do know very effectively and I’ve been tweaking it over time to be excellent for my palette.
After I wrote up the recipe and examined it just a few instances, I requested Nagi to make it to double examine that I had written it appropriately. She didn’t encounter any points, we solely needed to make just a few tweaks to make sure it’s foolproof, for instance, ensuring the sauce is the right thickness.
She even made it once more at the moment for my lunch as a result of I wished to take a greater picture of the sauce!
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Hen Chasseur
Prep: 15 minutes
Prepare dinner: 45 minutes
Complete: 1 hour
Important
French
Servings4
Faucet or hover to scale
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Directions
Hen
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Season the hen – Pat the hen dry completely 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 in addition 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 hen items, the pores and skin can pop and scorching oil could splash.
Chasseur Sauce
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Onion, mushrooms and garlic – In the identical pan, improve the warmth to excessive and add the mushrooms and onions. Prepare 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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Brandy and wine – 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. Add the white wine. Let it simmer quickly to scale back by half. Use a picket spoon to scrape up the fond (the browned bits caught to the underside), which is an important ingredient to the creation of our sauce. It can make it wealthy and sophisticated.
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Tomato and inventory – Stir within the tomato paste, prepare dinner for 1 minute. Then add the inventory, salt, and pepper.
Cooking
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Simmer – Return the hen to the pan skin-side up, nestling them into the inventory. Convey the sauce to a simmer, then scale back the warmth to medium (effervescent always 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 scale back and focus whereas the hen finishes cooking.
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Cut back sauce barely – Switch the cooked hen to a plate. Flip the warmth to medium-high, and simmer the sauce for 3 minutes to scale back barely.
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End the sauce – Flip off the warmth. Scatter half of the COLD butter cubes in then stir till melted. Scatter the remainder of the butter cubes in then stir once more till melted. This can be a traditional emulsification approach that offers the sauce a silky, shiny end (monter au beurre) in addition to thickening it barely. (Notice 6)
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Serve – Convey the sauce to a mild simmer once more. Return the hen to the sauce and sprinkle over the recent tarragon. Take it to the desk and serve out of the pan with creamy mashed potato.
Recipe Notes:
For hen breast, use 4 breasts and cut up in half horizontally to make 8 steaks. Observe recipe as written to mud the hen with flour. Sear till floor is golden and take away. Simmer the sauce with out the hen for 10 minutes then add the hen (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 beneath the desk! And don’t go fancy right here! I used an affordable brandy, there isn’t 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 beautiful heat. Many of the alcohol cooks out and I grew consuming this as a child in France. You may exclude for non-alcoholic however the sauce might 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 essentially the most generally used at eating places I labored at in France. We use it for deglazing in Hen Chasseur. there isn’t a must use an costly wine. The flavour and aroma that you simply pay for is basically misplaced throughout cooking. Substitute with low-sodium beef inventory for a non-alcoholic model.
4. Beef inventory – We use beef inventory as a substitute of hen as a result of it offers the sauce a deeper, richer flavour and correct depth. Deal with your self and make it with home made beef inventory in the event you can!
5. Tarragon – This herb is a French favorite. A signature contact that makes this “Chasseur” somewhat than a daily stew. When you can’t discover it, use parsley with a little bit of crushed fennel seeds.
6. Butter – It’s vital for the butter to be COLD and lower into small items when utilizing this method, as a result of it melts slowly and evenly, serving to the butter emulsify and barely thicken the sauce whereas giving it a shiny end.
7. The skillet we use is a 30cm / 12″ broad, Le Creuset. When you don’t have a lid, simply pop a baking tray on it throughout the simmering part. And it’s okay in the event you don’t have the correct measurement, simply use the closest that you’ve. When you end-up with uncovered hen, it’ll 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 effectively for as much as 3 months. Thaw in a single day within the fridge then reheat gently.
Browning – This can be a essential step, a pleasant golden crust means tons of flavours within the sauce. It’s the inspiration of the entire dish. And grasp your warmth, in the event you assume it’s too excessive, decrease it down. We don’t need any burned bits.
Diet per serving – a complete thigh plus drumstick (it’s a beneficiant portion measurement!). Excludes mashed potato.
Diet Data:
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!
