Country Chicken with Gnocchi
Gnocchi is so often thought of as to just be served with a tomato sauce or pesto, but I find that they are excellent when used as a side in place of your standard potato or rice dish.
Gnocchi is so often thought of as to just be served with a tomato sauce or pesto, but I find that they are excellent when used as a side in place of your standard potato or rice dish.
- 1 cup dry white wine
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 tablespoons colavita extra virgin olive oil
- 1 whole chicken cut into 8 pieces (3 1/2 - 4 pounds)
- 1/2 cup sliced onion
- 3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup diced carrot
- 1/2 cup peas (fresh or frozen, thawed if frozen)
- 1/2 cup rachael ray all-natural chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon herbes de provence (or more to taste) *see note
- 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
- 1 package colavita gnocchi
- Carbohydrate 65.5478948529412 g
- Cholesterol 172.5 mg
- Fat 42.8673032352941 g
- Fiber 1.69604997986555 g
- Protein 53.8393351470588 g
- Saturated Fat 10.8742595 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (445g)
- Sodium 234.7355 mg
- Sugar 63.8518448730756 g
- Trans Fat 4.50024473529411 g
- Calories 879 calories
Step-by-step
- Season the chicken well with salt and pepper.
- In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat; add chicken, skin side down, and saute until browned, turn; add the onion and garlic, saute until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Add the carrot; sprinkle salt, pepper, herbes de Provence and tarragon over all.
- Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes; add chicken stock, reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer 15 minutes, uncover; add the peas and continue to cook 5 minutes longer or until the chicken is cooked through.
- Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 3 quarts water to a rolling boil; add a good pinch of salt.
- Once the chicken is cooked, remove it to a platter and keep warm.
- Add the gnocchi to the boiling water, when they rise to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon; add to the sauce in the skillet.
- Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, mixing gently with the sauce until well coated.
- Taste, adjust seasoning, and serve with the chicken.
While classic chicken fricassees rely on heavy cream or flour slurries to build body, this preparation achieves its depth through the direct reduction of dry white wine and chicken stock combined with pan-rendered fats. Acidic compounds in the wine break down surface proteins on the chicken skin during the initial sear, while simultaneously dissolving the fond—the caramelized browned bits stuck to the skillet—to create a unified, glossy emulsion without dairy.
- Sear the chicken skin-side down over medium-high heat until it releases easily from the metal, indicating natural fat has rendered and proteins have properly browned.
- Reduce the wine by half over a simmer to concentrate its natural organic acids before introducing the stock, which prevents the sauce from tasting overly sharp.
- Boil the gnocchi in at least 3 quarts of aggressively salted water so the starch hydrates rapidly without dropping the overall water temperature too drastically.
- Remove the gnocchi with a slotted spoon the exact moment they float to the surface, signaling that interior starches have gelatinized without absorbing excess water that would dilute the skillet sauce.
Gentle simmering in the reduced pan liquids allows the potato dumplings to absorb aromatic compounds from the tarragon and herbes de Provence without losing their structural integrity. Maintaining a low medium-low heat during the final stages ensures the chicken stays succulent while starches meld into the reduction.
