Poulet au Vin Jaune de Jura (Creamy Braised Chicken with Jura Wine and Morels)

This luxurious braised chicken recipe from the French Alps, made with a rare, oxidized white wine, delicate morel mushrooms, and a silky dollop of crème fraîche—is the ultimate special occasion supper.

Yield: serves 4

Time: 2 hours

Ingredients

1 oz. dried morels (about 1½ cups)
¹⁄₄ cup plus 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
One 3- to 4-lb. free-range chicken
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided
1 large shallot, finely chopped (¾ cup)
1 medium garlic clove, finely chopped (1 tsp.)
2 cups vin jaune de Jura, divided
5 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
8 oz. (1 cup) crème fraîche
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Crusty bread, noodles, or rice, to serve

Instructions

In a small pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Inspect the morels for visible dirt or grit, and brush them off with a moist paper towel. Once the water boils, turn off the heat and add the morels to the water, and set aside to soak. (If the morels aren’t fully submerged, stir them occasionally to make sure they all become rehydrated.)
Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and use kitchen shears or a boning knife to trim off the wing flats and tips, reserving them for another use. Separate the chicken into 7 pieces: 2 breasts (on the bone and connected to the wing drum), 2 thighs, 2 drumsticks and the backbone. Transfer the chicken pieces to a large bowl, season lightly with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with ¼ cup of flour and toss until the chicken is coated evenly on all sides.
In a large pot or Dutch oven, melt 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. When the butter begins to bubble, and working in batches as needed so as to not crowd the pan, add the chicken parts (including the backbone) skin side down in one layer and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over, about 25 minutes per batch. Transfer the chicken to a platter and set aside. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots soften and lose their color, 3–4 minutes. Using your fingers or a slotted spoon, scoop the morels out of their soaking liquid (reserving the liquid), then add them to the pot and continue cooking for another minute. Add 1½ cups of the wine to the pot and cook for a few seconds, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken to the pot and bring to a simmer. Strain the reserved morel soaking liquid through a very fine mesh sieve or coffee filter and add it to the pot along with the thyme and bay leaf. Lower the heat to low, partially cover, and cook at a gentle simmer, turning the chicken occasionally until the thigh meat is very tender, 40–50 minutes.
Use tongs to transfer the chicken pieces to the platter and set aside. Return the pan to medium heat and continue simmering the cooking liquid until it has reduced by about a third, 10–12 minutes. Season to taste with additional salt and pepper if needed.
On a cutting board or a plate, use a fork to mash the remaining butter and flour together to form a paste. Whisk the paste into the braising liquid and cook until it begins to thicken, about 3 minutes. Lower the heat to low, then whisk in the crème fraîche and ¼ cup of wine. Return the chicken to the pot and simmer together until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of a spoon, 10–12 minutes.
Remove and discard the bay leaf, thyme stems, and chicken backbone. Add the remaining ¼ cup of wine and cook one more minute more, just to combine the flavors. (Do not cook off the alcohol in this final addition, which is meant to enhance the flavors of the wine added earlier in the process.) Serve hot, with crusty bread, noodles, or rice on the side.

Tammie Teclemariam