While flipping through this month’s Gourmet Magazine, this particular recipe caught my eye. Its the Alsatian version of Coq Au Vin, which is one of my favorite braised dishes. Instead of the usual red wine, this recipe calls for a Riesling from the Alsace region of France, and is finished off with a small amount of cream or creme fraiche. This recipe was incredibly quick and had very little prep. It does have a shockingly large amount of leeks, which made me a little dubious of the outcome. When the leeks cooked, however, they lent a delicious flavor to the sauce. Just make sure you have some crusty French Bread to sop up the amazing sauce. Wonderful!

Chicken in Riesling Recipe

1 whole chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
4 medium leeks (white and pale green parts only) finely chopped, 2 cups
2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
4 medium carrots, halved diagonally
1 c dry white wine (preferably Alsatian Riesling)
1 1/2 small (2-inch) red potatoes
2 tbsp finely chopped flat parsley
1/2 c creme fraiche or heavy cream
fresh lemon juice to taste
salt
pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees with rack in the middle. Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat oil with 1 tbsp of the butter in a heavy 3 to 5 quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat until the foam subsides. Brown chicken in 2 batches, turning once, about 1 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.

2. Cook leeks leeks and shallots in the remaining 2 tbsp butter, covered, over medium-low heat until pale golden, about 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken, skin sides up, with any juices from the plate, carrots and wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half., 3 to 4 minutes. Cover pot and braise chicken in oven until cooked through, 20 t0 25 minutes.

3. While chicken braises, peel potatoes, then generously cover with cold water in a 2 to 3 quart saucepan and add 1 1/2 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer until potatoes are just tender, about 15 minutes. Drain in a colander, then return to the sauce pan. Add parsley and shake to coat.

4. Stir creme fraiche or cream into the chicken mixture and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Then add potatoes.

Note: I would change this next time by adding another 1/2 cup of wine and maybe 1/2 cup of chicken stock, and cooking the potatoes with the chicken.