Chicken in Rosé with Mushrooms and Pancetta is a braise, in which meat takes a long, slow sojourn in a closed pot in a low oven with aromatics, vegetables, herbs and just enough liquid to form a luxurious sauce. Meat cooked this way absorbs all the flavors of its companions, and when it’s done it falls off the bone – hopefully onto a pile of buttered mashed potatoes, egg noodles, or some other starchy bed to catch every drop of the sauce.
This dish is a simplified version of Coq au Vin, much easier and less labor-intensive but no less flavorful. Smart substitutions make a big difference. The sliced shallots melt into the sauce, adding richness while saving major effort (seriously, who wants to peel pearl onions?). Pancetta imparts its unmistakable salty porky-ness, stays crisper than bacon, and comes conveniently diced in 4-ounce packages from the deli.
The most obvious switch of course is the wine. Rosé is a lighter, fresher-tasting alternative to red. The sauce will turn a gorgeous deep, bright raspberry color when reduced with the shallots, but the chicken stays golden brown instead of staining a bruised-looking purple as in the traditional dish.
I chose a dry rosé from a local vineyard. This particular wine is darker in color than many rosés, giving the sauce an almost burgundy hue – beautiful, but not dark enough to discolor the chicken.
Nestle the chicken pieces into the pot in a single layer on top of the shallots and reduced wine. I use a 7¼-quart Le Creuset Dutch oven.
(You may wonder why I don’t use my Instant Pot for this – after all, isn’t the Instant Pot ideal for achieving falling-off-the-bone tenderness, in way less time? Yes. But I have a pet peeve about the Instant Pot, which is that it’s a real pain in the neck for browning meat. The bottom of the inner pot is not flat, causing the oil to run off to form a moat around the edges, leaving the center dry. It also has a smaller surface area than my Le Creuset pot. Browning chicken thighs in the Instant Pot is awkward and takes more time, so if I were to use the Instant Pot, I’d opt to brown the chicken on the stove first – which means I’d lose the crusty, dark, flavorful pan drippings from the chicken when I transfer it to the pot. So, no. Not for this.)
Once the chicken is settled, tuck the mushrooms into the cracks, scatter the cooked pancetta over the top, and toss in a few sprigs of thyme, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine for easy removal later.
One and a half hours later, the juices from the chicken will have enriched the sauce, the mushrooms will be soft, and the chicken meltingly tender.
For serving, add something green to the plate for color and contrast. A sprinkle of parsley over the chicken, and a side of steamed broccoli, green beans or asparagus will do the trick.
Making this ahead and what to do with leftovers:
- Braised meats are great for making ahead – the flavor actually improves, and cooling the dish makes it easier to defat the sauce. If you’re making it ahead, gently remove the chicken to a storage container. Strain the sauce and add the solids (mushrooms, shallots and pancetta) to the chicken. Chill the sauce separately. Once the sauce has cooled you can easily remove the excess fat that will have risen to the top. Then return the chicken and other goodies, plus the sauce, back to the pot and gently reheat in a 300 degree oven until heated through, about 30 minutes.
- Keep leftovers for 5 days. Reheat them in a 300 degree oven or in the microwave. Serve as is, or turn them into a pasta dish: take the chicken off the bone and remove the skin, tear the chicken into roughly bite-sized chunks and reheat it with the mushrooms and sauce, then dump the whole thing over pasta that’s been tossed with butter and Parmesan cheese.
This recipe was inspired by Chicken with Red Wine, Bacon and Mushrooms from Sally Schneider’s The Improvisational Cook.
Chicken in Rosé with Mushrooms and Pancetta
Ingredients
- 8 small or 6 large bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs, about 3½ to 4 pounds
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 ounces diced pancetta
- 4 large or 8 small shallots, thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)
- 2 cups rosé wine
- 8 to 10 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed, and halved if large
- 6 fresh thyme sprigs, tied into a bundle with kitchen twine
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Directions
- Step 1 Ideally (but not required) start preparing the chicken at least two hours before you start cooking, or even earlier in the day. Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season them with salt and pepper. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and chill it uncovered until ready to cook.
- Step 2 Heat the oven to 325 degrees.
- Step 3 Pour the oil into a cold Dutch oven that will be large enough to hold all the chicken in one layer when the time comes, and add the pancetta. Place the pot over medium heat and cook the pancetta until the fat is rendered out and the pancetta is browned and crispy, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the pancetta to a plate, leaving the fat behind in the skillet.
- Step 4 Brown the chicken in the pancetta fat in two batches. Place half the thighs in the pot, skin side down, and don’t move them until the skin is browned and crispy and easily detaches from the bottom of the pot when you lift the chicken to check it, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove the cooked pieces back to the same plate, skin side up, and brown the skin side of the remaining thighs. Remove the second batch to the plate.
- Step 5 Add the shallots to the pan and saute them until they’re soft and golden, about 5 minutes.
- Step 6 Add the wine and raise the heat to medium-high. Cook the wine at a high simmer until it has reduced by half, about 8 minutes. The liquid should be thick and glossy, just covering the shallots.
- Step 7 Remove the pot from the burner to a heat-proof surface. Arrange the chicken thighs in the pot in a single layer, skin side up. Nestle the mushrooms and the thyme bundle in among the chicken thighs. Scatter the pancetta on top.
- Step 8 Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven. Braise without peeking for 1½ hours.
- Step 9 Remove the pot from the oven and let it sit, covered and undisturbed, for 10 minutes.
- Step 10 Fish out and discard the thyme bundle. Transfer the chicken to a platter, or plates or shallow bowls. Use a large spoon to skim off the visible fat from the surface of the sauce. Spoon the sauce, mushrooms, shallots and pancetta over the top of the chicken. Sprinkle with the parsley. Serve a starch such as mashed potatoes, pasta or rice alongside or underneath to catch all the lovely juices.
