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My gift to you on this cold winter day is a dish so well balanced, so full of depth, that you will never again find yourself asking, “what should I make when we have company?”

This recipe is tried and true. Everything from the simple, homey ingredients (it doesn’t get more approachable than chicken and mushrooms) to the way you serve it — straight out of a large pot or dutch oven, family-style on a big, crowded table — will leave your most difficult and hard-to-please guests licking their plates.

If I had to pick one genre of food to prepare for the rest of my life, no surprise that this kind of homestyle French cuisine would make the cut. Something about braises and long stews always leaves me feeling pampered and well taken care of, in a way that is harder to achieve from a 30 minute meal. Think about lazy weekend cooking — why is it that we reserve our most special meals for a long, slow day of prep on Sunday afternoons (other than the obvious, DUH most people are working during the week)? Weekend meals are sacred. That time around the table is precious and coveted, and if we’re going to take the time to gather the entire gang, the payoff better be huge.

Guys, this one will not disappoint.

The other reason to go crazy for these simple, elevated meals? The food is even better the next day.

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Chicken with mushrooms and white wine garlic sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
• kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 2-3 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 lbs shiitakes and/or white button mushrooms (thinly sliced)
• 6 large garlic cloves
• 10-12 thyme or rosemary sprigs
• 1/3 cup dry sherry
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 2 cups chicken stock (can substitute vegetable stock or water)
• 2 cups dry white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter room temperature

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 F. Combine flour, 1 ½ tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon garlic powder in a bowl and stir to combine.
• Pat chicken dry with a paper towel, then dredge in flour mixture until evenly coated on both sides. Shake off excess.
• In a large dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot add chicken thighs, making sure not to crowd the pan. This will take at least two batches. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, then flip and cook for an additional 5. Remove chicken to a plate and continue cooking until all chicken is browned.
• Add the mushrooms, whole garlic cloves, and herbs (you can tie the herbs together with kitchen twine to make removal easier later, or just leave them loose and keep them in the finished product). Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-7 minutes. Pour in sherry and scrape the bottom of the pan to release any brown bits. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
• Pour in chicken stock and white wine, then season with 1 tablespoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Bring to a low boil, then return the chicken to the pan. Place a lid on top and bake for 30 minutes.
• Remove chicken to a late plate, then bring the remaining liquid up to a simmer. Combine 2 tablespoons room temperature butter with 2 tablespoons all purpose flour in a small bowl. Add mixture to the pot and cook until fully incorporated, about 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken up slightly. Return chicken to the pot and serve immediately.