Poulet aux Champignons, Sauce Crème au Vin Blanc (with Garlicky Bok Choy)

Golden-seared chicken and mushrooms in a silky French-style white wine cream sauce, served with crisp-tender greens to soak up every drop.

Ingredients

• 4 chicken breasts (about 170–200g / 6–7 oz each), patted dry
• 1 tsp kosher salt (plus more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
• 450g / 1 lb mushrooms (cremini/button), sliced 5mm / 1/4"
• 3 garlic cloves, minced (pantry staple)
• 1 small onion or 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc/Pinot Grigio)
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) chicken stock (or water + a pinch of salt)
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard (optional but classic and recommended)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (optional, to brighten at the end)
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley (optional, for serving)
• 3 heads bok choy (or 1 large), halved lengthwise (or roughly chopped if large)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp butter (or use olive oil)
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• Pinch of salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp water (for steaming in-pan)

Method

• 1

  Step 1: Season + sear the chicken

  Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear chicken 4–5 minutes per side until deep golden (don’t worry if not fully cooked through). Transfer to a plate.

• 2

  Step 2: Brown the mushrooms properly

  In the same pan, add mushrooms and spread out. Cook 6–8 minutes, stirring only occasionally, until they release water then turn golden and nutty-smelling. If the pan looks dry, add a small knob of butter.

• 3

  Step 3: Build the French base

  Add onion/shallot and cook 2 minutes until softened. Add minced garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant.

• 4

  Step 4: Deglaze with wine

  Pour in white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the pan (that’s flavor). Simmer 3–4 minutes until reduced by about half and the alcohol smell mellows.

• 5

  Step 5: Make it creamy

  Add chicken stock, cream, and Dijon (if using). Stir and bring to a gentle simmer. Return chicken (and any juices on the plate) to the pan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 6–10 minutes, turning once, until chicken is cooked through (internal temp 74°C / 165°F) and the sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon.

• 6

  Step 6: Finish the sauce

  Taste and adjust salt/pepper. Stir in lemon juice if using (it should taste rich but not heavy). Sprinkle parsley over the top.

• 7

  Step 7: Cook the bok choy

  While the chicken simmers, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a separate large pan over medium-high. Add sliced garlic and cook 20–30 seconds until fragrant. Add bok choy cut-side down and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Add 2 tbsp water, cover, and steam-sauté 2–3 minutes until stems are crisp-tender and leaves wilted. Uncover and cook 30–60 seconds to evaporate excess water.

• 8

  Step 8: Serve

  Plate bok choy, top with chicken, spoon over mushrooms and plenty of white wine cream sauce.

Tips

• **For extra French bistro vibes:** Keep the simmer gentle after adding cream—boiling can split the sauce.
• **Chicken thighs work great:** Use 6–8 boneless thighs; simmer a few minutes longer until tender.
• **No heavy cream?** Use half-and-half, but simmer a bit longer to thicken (sauce will be lighter).
• **Wine swap:** If you can’t use wine, replace with extra stock plus 1–2 tsp lemon juice at the end.
• **Make-ahead/storage:** Refrigerate up to 3 days. Reheat gently on low (don’t boil) with a splash of stock/cream to loosen.
• **What to serve with:** The sauce begs for something to mop it up—rice, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread (plus the bok choy on the side).

Nutrition (per serving, estimate)