Slow-Cooked Chicken with White Wine and Cream Sauce

This recipe is rich and creamy, and the aroma of it cooking all day really tempted me to sneak a taste or two.  I felt drawn to the slow cooker and gazed into the clear lid, but I knew that lifting the lid was a "mortal sin" for slow-cooked food.  The chicken falls off the bone as you lift it out of the cooker and leaves some of the meat in the sauce, which just adds to the richness of the sauce.  When you ladle it onto the chicken, it almost looks like stew or soup.  Regardless, messy or not,  this recipe will not disappoint you. 

Most of the recipes I have tried lately that include wine as an ingredient have required red wine.  And since I mostly drink red wine these days, I had to buy a small container or white for this recipe.  I chose a crispy, dry white wine that worked great.

(While this dish isn't  real conducive to those on a diet, it is worth the extra calories for an

 occasional "slip" from your diet.)  

Enjoy!

• 6  (12 oz.) pieces of bone-in split chicken breasts or thighs (I used thighs)
• 1/2 cup EVOO - separated
• 1 pkg. brown mushrooms - sliced or quartered
• 1 tbsp. dried minced onion
• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
• 4 garlic cloves - minced
• 1/4 cup all-purpose white flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 can low-sodium chicken broth or stock
• 1 lb. carrots - peeled, halved lengthwise - sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• sea salt and pepper - for seasoning and at the end for taste

Dry the chicken with paper towel and season with sea salt and pepper.  Heat 1/4  cup EVOO in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Place chicken skin side down and brown lightly.  Once browned, place chicken on a plate and set aside.  (You can remove the skin once it has cooled if desired - I left it on).

Add the other 1/4 cup EVOO to the same skillet along with the mushrooms, minced onion, thyme, and 1/4 tsp. sea salt.  Cook over medium heat - about 5 to 10 minutes.  Stir in garlic.  Whisk in flour and white wine until mixture is well-blended.  Transfer mixture to slow cooker.

Gently stir in broth, carrots, and Worcestershire sauce into slow cooker.  Place chicken in slow cooker with the meatiest part facing up.  Cover and cook on low-setting 5 to 6 hours.  When cooking time is done, remove the chicken from slow cooker and place meat in a wide, shallow bowl or a casserole dish.  The meat will slide off the bone easily.  Once chicken is removed, stir the cream into the sauce and blend evenly.  Season with sea salt and pepper to taste.  Spoon sauce over chicken and serve.  Makes 4 hearty or 6 smaller-sized portions.

NOTE: The sauce from this recipe would be great on masked potatoes, rice, or even steamed vegetables,  You could even dip bread sticks or warm homemade bread in it!! 

EVOO = Extra-Light Virgin Olive Oil