In The Kitchen With Sheri

Sep 10, 2010
2009 Château des Reyssiers Henry Fessy AOC Régnié

I know I said that I was planning on pairing the Château des Reyssiers with something quick and easy, but that was before my week took a turn for the worse and my son came down with an ear infection. So with Peter out of school and us stuck at home, I had a bit more time to putter in the kitchen. And that’s why this week’s food pairing is a little bit more involved…

I was in the mood for chicken and lately I have been thinking about a dish I had in the Jura, so I decided I would attempt to recreate it – with a few modifications. I figured that given the versatility of the Château des Reyssiers, my creation was bound to be a pretty good match.

First I heated a large pan and added a tablespoon or two of olive oil. I sautéed several chicken breasts (that I had seasoned with salt and pepper) and cooked them for about 8 minutes on each side. I then removed the chicken breasts and placed them on a plate and covered them with aluminum foil. Next I added a container of sliced baby bella mushrooms and sautéed them for a few minutes. Then I added the chicken back into the pan (along with the accumulated juices) and added a cup of unsalted chicken stock.

I had done a small tasting exercise earlier in the day and so I had several bottles of wine open. I decided to add about a cup of white wine and a little bit of red wine (maybe ½ cup) to the pan and then brought everything to a simmer. I let that chicken cook and the sauce reduce for a while (probably about 20 minutes or so) and then I removed the chicken and added a spoonful of crème fraiche to the pan and about ¾ of a cup of heavy cream. I stirred the pan to help the sauce come together and then I added the chicken back in and let everything cook for another few minutes (the chicken breasts were on the thick side).

While the dish wasn’t quite as good as what I had in the Jura this summer (probably not a surprise as the chef who made it for us added tons of fresh cream and butter), it was still pretty yummy and it was a delicious match with the Château des Reyssiers as the mushrooms and the sauce were balanced by the bright, fresh acidity and fruit flavors of the wine. I served everything over polenta and it made for quite a filling and hearty meal. It felt a little decadent to use both crème fraiche and heavy cream, but they were both added in very moderate amounts so I didn’t feel too guilty in the end.

The one thing I do want to forewarn you about with this dish though is that if you add a bit of red wine to the chicken while cooking it does take on a slightly pink tinge which can look a little strange. So if you want to make this for company, you might want to just stick to cooking the chicken in white wine instead of red.

Enjoy and as always, please let me know what you think – cheers!