Chicken Stroganoff
Yields: 4-5 servings
Time: 45 minute prep, 45 minute cook
Traditional stroganoff is a beef and mushroom based dish in a sour cream sauce. In this recipe I move away from tradition and use chicken as the base flavor for the cream sauce. Searing chicken thighs leaves the perfect amount of rendered fat to sauté onions and all the aromatics. Heavy cream adds another layer of lusciousness to the sauce that can be somewhat thin without it. This stroganoff will warm you from the inside out- the perfect dish for a cold winter evening.
Ingredients:
1 lb. chicken thighs
1 lb. extra wide egg noodles
Kosher salt
Black pepper
Garlic powder
Paprika
Olive oil
Neutral oil (avocado, canola, vegetable, etc)
Unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
All-purpose flour
Chicken stock
Dry cooking sherry
Thyme
Parsley
Bay leaf
Sour cream
Heavy cream
Worcestershire sauce
Apple cider vinegar
Special Equipment:
Dutch oven or oven-safe pot
Directions
Step One:
Lightly coat chicken thighs with olive oil. Sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon each of paprika and garlic powder. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Step Two:
Preheat oven to 350º.
Step Three:
Heat 1/4 cup of neutral oil over high heat in a Dutch oven. Once oil is shimmering, add chicken skin side down and sear until browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Repeat on other side. You’ll know the chicken is ready to flip when it easily releases from the pan. Remove and drain on a paper towel.
Step Four:
Melt a few knobs of unsalted butter in same Dutch oven over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any brown bits from the chicken. Add sliced onion and season to taste with kosher salt and black pepper. Cook until onions are soft and transparent 5-8 minutes.
Step Five:
Add 1/4 cup of cooking sherry to pot. Mix in a few palmfuls of thyme and parsley and 2 bay leaves. Heat until bubbling. Sprinkle 2 large spoonfuls of flour and stir until thoroughly combined.
Step Six:
Once thickened, add a cup of chicken stock, or enough to loosen up the roux. Bring to a boil. Add equal parts heavy cream and sour cream, about 1/2 cup each. Mix in 1/4 cup of Worcestershire sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Let simmer for 5 minutes. If mixture seems too thick, add more chicken stock.
Step Seven:
While sauce is simmering, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season heavily with kosher salt. Once boiling, add egg noodles and cook for 4-5 minutes or until only slightly soft. Over cooking the noodles at this point will lead to a very soggy final product.
Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water then strain. Add noodles to sauce and stir to combine.
Step Eight:
Nestle chicken thighs in noodles, cover and bake for 45 minutes. Check half way through the cooking time and add some of the reserved pasta water if mixture seems dry (may not be needed).
Step Nine:
Let chicken rest for 10 minutes. To serve, spoon noodles into bowl and top with chicken thigh. Sprinkle with extra parsley and enjoy!
For Mushroom Lovers
Mushrooms are make a traditional stroganoff but I am not a huge fan so I’ve chosen to omit them in my twist. However, if you are a mushroom fan, add ‘em in! Cremini, shiitake, or baby portabella mushrooms would all work well in this recipe. Clean and thinly slice mushrooms. Cook them in the same butter/chicken fat mixture before the onions. Season with kosher salt and sauté they’ve released any excess moisture and begin to brown. Add in onions and proceed with the rest of the instructions.
