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Entree
French
6 - 8 servings
20 minutes
1 hour
4 chicken drumsticks
4 chicken thighs
4 chicken breasts
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
Flour, as needed
2 tablespoons cooking oil
¾ cup sherry or madeira
¼ cup whipping or heavy cream
3 bay leaves
2 chicken livers, optional
1½ cups Champagne Grapes
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry. Sprinkle with desired salt and pepper and dust with flour, shaking off excess.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat on the stove. Add chicken pieces in batches, if necessary, without crowding the skillet, and brown on all sides until golden. Transfer the thighs and drumsticks to a large casserole or Dutch oven as they are done, reaching an internal temperature of 160F in meatiest area of piece. Set the breasts aside.
Add the Madeira, cream, bay leaves and thyme. Cover and place in the oven.
After 10 minutes, add the liver (optional) and the breasts and replace in oven for another 45 minutes to 1 hour.
When it's time to serve dinner, arrange chicken pieces on a serving platter and keep warm in the oven while finishing sauce.
Remove bay leaves and thyme sprigs, pour sauce and livers (optional) into a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt as needed.
Strain sauce into a saucepan, place over medium heat on the stove and add the grapes. Do not boil.
Simmer for 1 minute to heat the grapes.
Remove the chicken from the oven, spoon sauce and grapes over it and serve immediately.
The chicken is thoroughly cooked when a temperature probe is inserted into the meatiest part of chicken piece without touching bone and reads 160F, or juices run clear near the bone. Carry over cooking will allow the internal temperature to reach 165F to be fully cooked.
