- 1 whole chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
- ½ tsp table salt
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 1 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 medium leeks, trim the dark green leaves and root end, keeping the base intact. Quarter each leek lengthwise and rinse thoroughly.
- 4 medium carrots, halved crosswise, then halved or quartered lengthwise depending on thickness
- 225g white mushrooms, brushed clean and halved if large
- 3 sprigs fresh thyme (1 1/2 teaspoons fresh leaves) or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 120 ml dry white wine
When making this dish, be sure to place the vegetables on top of the chicken after sautéing; that way, they won’t be crushed by the meat and will render their juices to the chicken. You can make this dish in a smaller sauté pan, but you will then need to brown the chicken in batches.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oils in 12-inch sauté pan over medium-high heat, add chicken; sauté until browned on both sides, moving around to brown evenly, 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside.
Discard all but thin film of fat from pan. Add onion, carrots, and mushrooms; sauté, stirring frequently to prevent scorching, until pan juices evaporate, 4 to 5 minutes.
Return chicken and accumulated juices to pan, moving vegetables to top. Add thyme sprigs and wine; bring to boil. Lower heat, cover, and barely simmer until chicken is cooked through, basting three or four times, about 25 minutes. Place portion of chicken on each plate; top with vegetables. Ladle juices over both chicken and vegetables and serve immediately.
