Braised chicken, caramelized onions and morels

I love morels, but it has occurred to me that they might look a little odd to people unfamiliar with them.   One friend told me they looked like wrinkled slugs.  When I first offered my husband morel stew, he looked at me with narrowed eyes and asked suspiciously, "What is that?"  It was the same look Kevin McCarthy had in Invasion of the Body Snatchers, when he saw alien pods from outer space taking over Earthling bodies.  Morels do look a little X-Files.  But once you fall under their spell, you'll think how good they taste when you look at them.  They'll look adorable--and expensive.  I received a bag of dried morels and used some of them in a dish I created when my pantry was a little bare.   That's why it's always nice to have dried mushrooms, because they turn a plain dish of chicken and onions into something a little special.   

It's worth it to find a good purveyor of dried mushrooms, rather than using the ones sold in little bags at the supermarket.  I've never found them to be anything but disappointing. They're always broken, tough and relatively expensive for all that.  These morels came from Earthy Delights.  They arrived in good condition, with few broken pieces.   Dried mushrooms are great to have on hand in the pantry because they last for months, ready to be pulled out and reconstituted.  The liquid produced after soaking them should NEVER be thrown away.  It can be frozen and used to enrich broth or to make mushroom sauce.

This is a very simple recipe, which tastes a rich, even though it's low in calories.  I ate it with a chunk of French bread. My husband likes his served on rice.  If you can't find morels, other dried or fresh mushrooms could be used.      

Braised chicken with caramelized onions and morels

1/2    ounce dried morel mushrooms
1        cup hot water
4        chicken leg-thigh pieces, skin removed if you wish
1        tablespoon olive oil
3/4    cup dry white wine
1        large onion, thinly sliced
1        cup chicken broth
1        tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Gently run cold water over the morels to loosen any dirt then place them in small bowl. Add 1 cup hot water and let stand until morels soften, about 45 minutes. Remove morels and reserve. Strain liquid through a fine sieve lined with a coffee filter or paper towels, and reserve the liquid.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add chicken and sauté until brown, about 6 minutes per side. Remove chicken. Add the onion to the pan and cook over medium heat, stirring until the onions caramelize and turn golden brown.  Add the wine to pot and bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Stir in broth, thyme, morels, and reserved morel liquid. Return chicken to pot and bring liquid to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens, turning chicken once, about 40 minutes. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. (This tastes even better made 1 day ahead.).

Makes 4 servings.

Comments

[Nancy Schonfeld-Warden]

The chicken and morel dish looks delicious. Can I come over for dinner?

[sher]

Nancy,

Well, next time I make it, I'll be sure to invite you over!

Sher

[Glenna]

That dish looks so rich and satisfying, and yet, you don't even have to feel guilty. There's hardly any fat. It looks like it has that great Mama's home cooking fat mouthfeel taste, though.

Yum!

[sher]

Glenna? Glenna?

Who are you and why are you stalking me? :):):) Seriously, it was a good tasting dish.

[Stalker Glenna]

I've been bored and depressed since Robert Redford and Viggo Mortenson issued those nasty little restraining orders. Bored and depressed equal emotional eating so now I've turned my attention to my favorite food bloggers.

Aren't you lucky?

[stacey]

That looks delicious! How I do love to braise....