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Mary Berry Chicken Chasseur Recipe

Mary Berry Chicken Chasseur Recipe

Mary Berry's chicken chasseur is a rich French braise with mushrooms, tomatoes, white wine, and fresh tarragon.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 10 minutes
Servings: 4 Portions
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: British
Calories: 420
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 8 bone-in skin-on chicken pieces
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 40 g unsalted butter
  • 4 shallots finely chopped
  • 300 g chestnut mushrooms sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves crushed
  • 3 tbsp cognac or brandy optional
  • 200 ml dry white wine
  • 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
  • 200 ml chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 tsp caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp fresh tarragon roughly chopped
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley chopped
  • Salt and pepper

Method
 

  1. Season chicken. Brown skin-side down in batches in hot oil — 4–5 minutes until deeply golden. Turn — 2 minutes. Remove.
  2. Add half butter over high heat. Cook mushrooms — 3 minutes undisturbed until golden. Stir — 2 minutes until all golden and dry. Remove.
  3. Reduce heat. Add remaining butter. Cook shallots 5 minutes. Add garlic — 1 minute.
  4. Add cognac if using — bubble 30 seconds. Add wine — increase heat, reduce by half, scraping base.
  5. Add tomatoes, stock, purée, thyme, bay leaves, and sugar. Season. Return mushrooms.
  6. Return chicken skin-side up. Cover partially. Cook on low heat or in 160°C oven 35–40 minutes until cooked through and sauce is rich.
  7. Remove bay leaves. Season. Off heat — stir in tarragon and parsley. Serve immediately.

Notes

Caramelise mushrooms separately at high heat — never add them raw to the sauce.
Use cognac if you have it — it adds a complexity white wine cannot replicate.
Keep chicken skin above the sauce throughout cooking.
Reduce cognac and wine completely before adding tomatoes and stock.
Add tarragon off the heat — it loses its flavour within seconds in a hot sauce.
Stores in fridge 3 days. Freezes 3 months. Add fresh herbs when reheating.
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