Friday, September 12, 2014

Spoonfuls of Germany: Woihinkelche (Chicken in Riesling with White Grapes)


It's been a really long week.  And what do you need at the end of a long, long, long week of sitting in auditing classes?  Wine.  A big 'ol glass of wine.  And it doesn't hurt if you also dump some of that wine in your dinner.  Because the more wine, the better, right?  So delicious.

Woihinkelche (Chicken in Riesling with White Grapes)
Adapted from Spoonfuls of Germany by Nadia Hassani

1 (3- to 3½-pound) chicken, cleaned and most of the skin removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried tarragon
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 cup Riesling
½ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
12 medium white mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and thinly sliced
4 ounces seedless white grapes, halved

Cut the chicken into 8 parts and rub it with salt, pepper, and tarragon.  Heat the oil in a large saucepan and brown the chicken on all sides.  Add the onion, garlic, and wine and cook over low heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Take the chicken out of the pan and keep warm.  Whisk the cream into the sauce and let it thicken.

Heat the butter in a large skillet and sauté the mushrooms until they start to soften.  Add the mushrooms to the sauce with the chicken.  Stir carefully and simmer for 10 minutes.  Add the grapes and heat them briefly in the sauce.  Season with salt and pepper.  Serve hot with spätzle.

Makes 4 to 6 servings

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