Chicken à la Crema

Chef John's chicken à la crema sauce is made with sautéed mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, and crème fraîche. One bite of this recipe and it will be repeat.

• Preparation Time: 25 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Total Time: 2 hr 40 mins
• Calories: 734 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 large bay leaf
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt, or more to taste
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped and finely chopped
• 1 (4.5 pound) whole chicken, quartered
• 2 cups thickly sliced mushrooms
• 3 poblano peppers, seeded and thinly sliced
• 0.25 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 0.5 cup chopped cilantro
• 1.5 cups creme fraiche, divided

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over high heat. Add chicken; sear until well browned on both sides and fat has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a bowl.

Step 2

Meanwhile, remove and discard chicken skin and bones (or save to make stock). Break meat into large or small pieces; save any edible drippings.

Step 3

Reduce heat to medium; add mushrooms, onion, and salt to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Add poblanos, garlic, chili powder, cumin, black pepper, dried oregano, and cayenne pepper; cook and stir until poblanos begin to soften, about 3 minutes.

Step 4

Stir in chicken broth, diced tomatoes, and bay leaf; increase heat to high. Stir in 1 cup crème fraîche and fresh oregano; bring to a simmer. Add chicken and any accumulated juices to the Dutch oven, nestling chicken into broth to cover. Reduce heat to low or medium-low to maintain a gentle, steady simmer. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 1 ¼ hours.

Step 5

Transfer chicken to a bowl using tongs; set aside until cool enough to handle. Increase heat to medium-high; cook until braising liquid reduced by about half, 15 to 20 minutes, skimming fat from the surface as it cooks.

Step 6

Reduce heat to low; add chicken meat and drippings to sauce. Simmer until chicken has absorbed flavor from sauce, about 15 minutes. Off heat, stir in chopped cilantro and remaining ½ cup crème fraîche. Taste; adjust salt and seasonings.