I have really fond memories of this recipe, Chicken Bordeaux from the New York Times Cookbook, in Craig Claiborne’s day. He was a food writer and editor, way back when. This harkens back to when I was young, late 70s, early 80s.

Chicken Bourdeaux

Those were the days, my friend. On a vacation in California with my Mom, Aunt Mary, Uncle George, new friends were spontaneously invited over for dinner. Why on earth they entrusted me to cook dinner for the crowd, I don’t know!

(My apologies for these photos – this dish is on my must-retake list!)

About Chicken Bordeaux:

I must have suggested Chicken Bordeaux; I’d made it several times. So Mom and I stopped in a bookstore (we didn’t buy the book, lol) so I could brush up on the deets, then picked up the groceries. My uncle took charge of the wine (I wasn’t legal yet!), and my Aunt tidied up and did the table setting.

In California, no less, George was told there was no such thing as white Bordeaux; I knew he was doubting me, but he tried another store, and lo and behold. If you can’t find white Bordeaux, try an unoaked Chardonnay, but nothing too sweet, or a Sauvignon Blanc with crisp rather than fruity flavors.

We pulled it off, a memorable dinner with good food, good wine, and good company. RIP to all of the older generation, now gone.

Chicken Bordeaux is one of those meals masquerading around feeling all fancy, but when you get down to it, it’s just a braised chicken breast in a pan sauce. With mushrooms and tomatoes. And wine. Coz a little wine never hurt anything, amirite? It’s the flavor explosion from all those things combined that makes this dish stand out.

Chicken Bourdeaux

Making Chicken Bordeaux:

Bone-in breasts are a rarity at my house; it’s usually all about getting dinner on the table fast. Allow a little time for this recipe, pick up an extra bottle or two of wine; it’s really a cozy, company-worthy dish.

All that’s needed is a little patience and a bit of tending, but once the chicken is cooked through (about 25 minutes), it’s time to start building the pan sauce, and it goes quickly.

Make sure your potatoes are on (coz you HAVE to have mashed) before the sauce is started. And it’s best to have someone working on the mashed potatoes while you finish the dish. Bribe them with a glass of wine!

Serve With:

This dish needs good, sturdy mashed potatoes; anything else, rice or noodles, just won’t suit.

Check out Best Company Mashed Potatoes (hold back a little liquid) or Perfect Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes.

Best Company Mashed Potatoes

Leftover Chicken Bordeaux:

Store in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for three to four days.

• For best results, reheat servings, lightly covered, in the microwave.
• Larger amounts may do better in the oven. Reheat in a preheated oven (350 degrees F.), covered, 15 to 20 minutes. Drizzle with water if needed.

Other Easy Guest Worthy Recipes You Might Like:

• Creamy Chicken with Sun Dried Tomatoes – these days this is called Tuscan Chicken or Marry Me Chicken.
• Basque Chicken (Poulet Basquaise) – A long-time family favorite, and absolutely gorgeous.
• Chicken in Wine (Coq au Riesling) – fast, easy gourmet on a budget; chicken with a creamy mushroom sauce.

Serve Basque Chicken on a big platter of rice! Pass any of the peppers and juices that don’t fit!

Saving Money on Groceries:

What you pay for groceries depends on not just WHERE you shop, but WHEN. Be strategic and stock up at rock-bottom prices.

• The best sales are before holidays; check out Win at the Grocers. Think beyond the occasion & use the opportunity to stock up at a low for the coming weeks to months.
• If available, take advantage of discount stores like Aldi or Lidl. The pricing at Buyer’s clubs is not always the lowest, but can trump in quality. Be selective when shopping there.

Chicken Parts:

• In order of pricing, on sale boneless, skinless thighs are the best value, boneless, skinless breast, next. Sale-priced Bone-In breasts are usually a better value than the same in thighs. More usable chicken, for one.
• At the grocery, all chicken drops to a low about once a quarter. Take advantage, stock up, and freeze in portions your family will use.
• Discount stores have great sale pricing; watch for it. Buyers’ club breasts are often so large that I hesitate to think of them as “frugal” in a recipe like this, where it’s one per person.

Mushrooms:

• Watch sales, especially before holidays. Discount store’s everyday pricing rivals grocery stores’ best sales. Buyers’ clubs may not be cheapest, but the quality is outstanding.
• The bargain is the button; its nutritional value is nearly identical to its pricier cousins.
• Whole mushrooms keep better. Poke or cut several holes in the package and wrap; place upside down in the fridge.

Wine:

• Sign up for emails, watch flyers, and shop the sales, including the bargain bins. There are two major sales in the industry, fall and spring. Stock up. Additional discounts usually apply when buying in bulk; if not offered, ask.
• Talk to the wine person, consultant, guide, or sommelier. A good one will ask your price range, what you’re making, and direct you to options you may not have thought of or known about.
• Cooking is an ideal way to use a partial bottle; store in a small, airtight jar until needed.

Canned Whole Tomatoes: 

• I find the best value for canned tomatoes to be whole in the larger 29-ounce cans. My pantry is stocked with them. Unless the outcome of a recipe is specifically dependent on another tomato product, I substitute with canned whole tomatoes.
• About once a quarter, there will be a stellar sale at the grocery. Stock up then. Aldi and Lidl both have great pricing. Buyers clubs offer “fancier” options at a decent price.
• Extremely versatile, the whole tomatoes can be used as is, crushed by hand, pulsed in the blender for “crushed” tomatoes, and whirred up to use as a tomato sauce. The quality is usually better than crushed, diced, or sauce you might buy.
• If the larger cans are too much for a recipe, toss the remainder in a Ziploc, label with the amount, and freeze. Try to put items away in the same place in your freezer every time, and they’re easier to find and use later.

Square

Chicken Bordeaux

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An elegant but easy meal that straddles the line between comfort and gourmet.

• Author: adapted from the New York Times Cookbook
• Prep Time: 5 minutes
• Cook Time: 45 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour
• Yield: 4 to 8 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dish Chicken
• Cuisine: French

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 4 to 8 half chicken breasts, bone in, skin on
• ³⁄₄ cup flour, divided
• 1 teaspoon salt
• a few good grinds black pepper
• ¹⁄₂ cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup canned tomato & juice (add tomatoes to the cup line of a glass measuring cup, then fill to the cup line with the juice)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups white Bordeaux wine

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Instructions

In a large skillet, melt the butter and saute the mushrooms. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute, until garlic is fragrant. Remove and set aside.

In the same skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Season the flour with salt and pepper. Coat the chicken with the flour, reserving the remainder of the flour. Add chicken and brown on all sides.

Cover and cook over low heat for 25 minutes, then drain the oil from the skillet. Push chicken aside and add the tomatoes, crushing as they’re added and tomato juice and heat through.

Mix the water with the flour to form a slurry and add to the tomatoes in the pan, stirring to blend and cooking enough to thicken the mixture. Whisk in the wine, then add the mushroom/garlic mixture along with any juices they’ve let out. Move everything around to distribute evenly. Cover and simmer another 20 minutes or so, or until the chicken is tender.

Notes

• A crisp, but not fruity Sauvignon Blanc can be substituted for the White Bordeaux
• If the chicken breasts are the huge ones that seem to be more common today, consider dividing in half and serving half per person.

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I’m sharing Chicken Bordeaux from the New York Times Cookbook at Fiesta Friday #219, hosted by Jhuls at the Not So Creative Cook.