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Conjuring folky tales of witches and wolves, Chicken Forestière is a flavoursome wander through woodland. Butter-soft chicken breasts are steeped in a sauce fragrant with garlic, herbs, and loamy wild mushrooms, bathing in moonlight-pale cream. Slip on your red-hooded cape and grab your wicker basket…
For a lighter French chicken recipe without cream, Chicken Provençal is a powerful bouquet of herbs in a tomato and white wine sauce.
Creamy mushroom chicken
It’s my own Hansel and Gretel roots that compel me to explore any creamy chicken and mushroom recipe. You’ll already know if you’ve tried my braised chicken and mushrooms in sour cream sauce.
What sets Forestière apart from that and other mushroom and chicken recipes like chicken Stroganoff or chicken with garlic mushroom sauce, is its decadent combination of wild mushrooms, tarragon, and double cream.
I’ve used shiitake and oyster mushrooms. Shiitake look like chestnut mushrooms, but where chestnuts are nutty, a shiitake is subtly smoky. Oyster mushrooms are entirely different in shape; broad and flat like an oyster shell, and dove-grey coloured or tan.
Some will claim they have a briny flavour, but I disagree. To me they are savoury, yes, but with a vague tang of anise.
Which is why I’ve chosen tarragon leaves for the sauce. The herb itself is bitter-sweet, like liquorice but less assaulting, and is often matched with chicken.
Availability means we usually see chicken with thyme, but you should definitely take a chance on vibrant tarragon. In this buttery and cream-heavy dish it’s a refreshing alternative.
So, there’s creamy mushroom chicken and then there’s enchanting Chicken Forestière. Which path will you take?
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Wild mushrooms are the distinguishing feature in this recipe. Most supermarkets stock mixed packs of them, but if you know what you’re doing, you could live out the forest fantasy and forage for your own.
- I’ve suggested using chicken breasts here because I know, dear readers, that they are your preference. Personally, I opt for a more succulent, and affordable, thigh. But the choice is yours.
- No French dish is without wine. And I totally embrace that characteristic! However, if you prefer not to cook with it, the acidic balance can still be achieved without using alcohol. Just substitute the quantity of wine with chicken stock and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
- Most chicken breast recipes will call for thyme. I’ve experimented with tarragon, and I’m not going back.
Serving suggestions
I imagine a fairytale woodsman sitting down to a steaming plate of chicken Forestière with nothing but a spoon and a hunk of crusty bread from a sturdy sourdough or nutty spelt loaf.
Being better equipped in my kitchen, I usually serve this saucy dish with brown butter mashed potato and a green side. Roasted asparagus with radishes and mustard vinaigrette complement the peppery tarragon and balance out the richness of the French chicken. Or simple and crunchy lemon butter green beans will do the same.
Storage and leftovers
Creamy mushroom chicken will keep in an This is an affiliate link.airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat gently on the stove top until the chicken is piping hot in the centre.
Cream-based recipes do not freeze well. On thawing the cream splits and the sauce becomes grainy. Don’t be tempted to freeze the leftovers!
Other chicken recipes to try
- Chicken Fricassee
- Best Chicken Marsala (Classic Recipe Made Easy)
- Classic Coq Au Vin (Chicken in Red Wine)
- Blackened Chicken Alfredo
- Chicken Marsala Fettuccine
Chicken Forestière
Equipment
- This is an affiliate link.Cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp This is an affiliate link.olive oil
- 4 skinless boneless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp butter, divided
- 300g / 2 cups wild mushrooms (I used a mix of shiitake and oyster mushrooms)
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- Salt to taste
- 2 shallots, sliced
- 2-3 sprigs tarragon, leaves only or thyme
- 2 tbsp flour
- 125ml / 1/2 cup dry white wine (or chicken stock + 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar)
- 250ml / 1 cup This is an affiliate link.chicken stock
- 125ml / 1/2 cup double / heavy cream or creme fraiche
Instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Brown the chicken breasts, seasoned with salt, for 5 minutes on each side over medium heat. The chicken will not be cooked all the way through. Remove to a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of butter to the same pan and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat with sliced garlic for approximately 5 minutes, move the mushrooms to one side to free up some space on the pan, then another tablespoon of butter and sliced shallots.
- Saute the shallots with tarragon for 2-3 minutes over low heat until tender. Then add 2 tablespoons of flour and mix to combine with the melted butter. Gradually pour in the white wine while stirring, then add in the chicken stock and double( heavy) cream or creme fraiche. Bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium and let it simmer for a couple of minutes, which will allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
- Return the chicken and mushrooms to the pan and simmer uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes until the chicken is done or put it in the oven at 180C/350F for 15 minutes. Taste and add more salt if needed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I myself to pictured me as a hunky woodsman cooking dinner for my lady! This was such a fantastic dish. Rich with flavor, chicken thighs turned out tender and juicy bursting with the flavors of the dish. I served it with mashed potatoes, rye bread, asparagus, and Al dente pasta with a brown butter, white wine, and lemon sauce. It’s an amazing dish and it will definitely be on my boys and I’s rotation. Thank you for sharing this recipe
That does sound like a delicious meal, Lucas! Thank you for giving my recipe a try!