Once upon a time in the early 18th Century a very industrious Benedictine monk by the name of Dom Pérignon nearly drove himself mad while trying to remove those pesky bubbles that were ruining his fine white wine. Dom P finally raised his hands to the sky for forgiveness and resigned himself to a life of fermenting mediocre bubbly white wine that no one would ever want to drink. History proved him quite wrong. That’s certainly one version of the story and I was unable to track down either Dom P or one of his brothes for a quote on the record. 

From the beautiful Champagne region where names such as Moet et Chandon, Dom Pérignon, Mumm, Laurent-Perrier, Louis Roederer, Krug, Taittinger, Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin and others are so well known, comes this most excellent recipe. This is but one of many recipes that brings chicken and champagne so perfectly together. Last year I introduced a chicken and champagne dish: Poulet a la Lavande avec Sauce Champagne. I hope you will find this one as as tasty as I did. In fact, I had my neighbors sniffing around my front and back doors the other evening demanding that they be served. It’s only fair they told me.

Chicken with Wild Mushrooms and Champagne Sauce


Ingredients
(4 servings)

1 chicken
1 large sweet onion 
3 cups of mushrooms champignons de Paris (or storebrand mushrooms)
1.5 cups of girolles (or wild mushroom such as morels, chanterelles, shiitake mushrooms )
1 bottle of Champagne (a crémant de Bourgogne or a domestic varietal)
2 Tb mustard (preferably with the mustard seeds)
10 oz whipping creme  (or crème fraîche if you can find it)
Bouquet of tarragon or basil
Vinegar (sage flavored – as a substitute, vinegar steeped in sage for an hour or so)
1 Tb butter and 2 Tbs olive oil

Directions
Cut your chicken in 8 pieces – alternatively use can use any combination of parts that suit you.
In fry pan add the oil and butter then brown the chicken pieces approx. 5 minutes per side 
While the chicken is browning, pour a glass of champagne, and finely dice the sweet onion. 

Remove the browned chicken pieces and replace with the onion and cook until translucent. One there, add back the chicken and add 40 cl (12 oz) of Champagne (I used a Crémant de Bourgogne but use any  bubbly from Spain or Italy (just keep that fact under your hat), the important thing your looking for is that gaz carbonique.)

Cover and let cook at 1/4 heat barely boiling for an hour.
Meanwhile, clean your “champignons de Paris” and your “girolles” failing to have either of those on hand, use your basic garden variety mushrooms and any store varietal wild mushrooms. 

Lightly toss your mushrooms in olive oil and while they gently cook, mix the whipping cream, the mustard, vinegar and a couple of basil or tarragon leaves that have been finely chopped. 
 
Pour the mixture of mushrooms and herbs into a small casserole on low heat and add a splash of Champagne. 
 
Takes the chicken pieces from the pan placing them on a platter and place in a warm oven – preheated to keep the chicken at the right temperature.
Reduce the sauce in the pan to approximately three – four soup spoons.

Add back the chicken and bring sauce and chicken together with a healthy serving of butter.
You serve the chicken, the mushrooms and the sauce separately (alternatively, you may wish to live on the wild side and blend all three together – that is, if you dare…) 
 
Serve with wild rice and the rest (if any) of the champagne with dinner or a nice alternative would be pairing the dish with a dry Vouvray 2000 from Thierry Nérisson wineries.