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Meat, Northern, Eastern and Western France

Chicken in barbouille sauce with steamed potatoes

Chicken in barbouille sauce is a braised dish from the Berry region of France, cooked in red wine with bacon and mushrooms, finished with a sauce thickened with egg yolk and cream, served with steamed potatoes. For 4 people, it takes 90 minutes and a medium skill level, at €3.40 per serving. The key to success is thickening the sauce off the heat so the egg yolk never curdles.

Tonight it's the Berry region with chicken in barbouille sauce, braised in red wine, and a velvety sauce thickened with egg yolk and cream.

Chicken in barbouille sauce with steamed potatoes
Total time
1 h 30
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.40
Calories per person
690 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Chicken in barbouille sauce gets its name from the sauce itself, which barbouille, or smears, the dish with a deep reddish brown color once the red wine and egg yolks come together. The chicken braises slowly until the meat falls off easily, bacon and mushrooms add depth, and the final sauce turns velvety without feeling heavy. It is a dish from the Berry region, simple in its ingredients but one that asks for a careful hand when the sauce is thickened.

This is a recipe to save for a Sunday or an evening when you have time to stay close to the stove, since the slow braise and the final thickening step cannot be rushed. It appeals to people who love classic braised dishes, less so to kids given the red wine and the texture of the sauce. Mon Chou walks you through thickening the egg yolk so it never curdles.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken, cut into pieces 1
  • Smoked bacon lardons 120 g

Pantry

  • Red wine 50 cl
  • Flouroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Onions 2
  • Button mushrooms 200 g
  • Bouquet garni 1
  • Potatoes 800 g

Dairy

  • Egg yolk 2
  • Heavy cream 10 cl
  • Butter 30 g

Allergens Lactose, Eggs, Gluten

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the chicken pieces and bacon in the butter, then set them aside. 12 min

    Brown the skin until it is deeply colored.

  2. Cook the sliced onions, sprinkle with flour and stir for a minute. 4 min

    The flour should coat the onions without browning.

  3. Pour in the red wine, add back the chicken, add the bouquet garni and cover. 45 min

    Let the wine boil for 2 minutes before covering so it loses its acidity.

  4. Add the mushrooms cut into quarters, and steam the potatoes. 20 min

    If the sauce is too thin, finish cooking without the lid.

  5. Off the heat, whisk the egg yolks with the cream and a little hot sauce, then pour it all back into the pot. 2 min

    Add the hot sauce to the yolks gradually, they should not cook all at once.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a red wine you would actually drink, it shapes the whole sauce and any flaw in it shows up in the finished dish.
  • Cut the potatoes into even pieces so they steam through at the same rate.
  • If you need to hold the dish before serving, keep the pot covered off the heat rather than on a warm burner, the thickened sauce should not simmer again.

The variations

  • Swap the smoked bacon for plain bacon if you want a less smoky sauce.
  • For a meatless version, replace the chicken with mushrooms and smoked tofu, and use vegetable broth instead of the chicken cooking juices.
  • To save time, use boneless chicken thighs, the braising time drops to about 30 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • Steamed potatoes, already part of the recipe
  • Crusty country bread for the sauce
  • A simple green salad on the side

Storage

Chicken in barbouille sauce keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator in a sealed container. It does not freeze well because the egg yolk sauce separates once thawed. Reheat it gently over low heat, without letting it boil, stirring often.

Questions about this dish

Can you make chicken in barbouille sauce ahead of time?

You can cook the chicken, bacon, onions and mushrooms the day before, and stop before thickening the sauce. On the day, reheat gently and whisk in the egg yolks and cream right before serving.

What red wine works best for this recipe?

A red wine from the Loire or Berry region, not too tannic, works well here. Avoid very young or acidic wines, they make the sauce less round.

How do you keep the sauce from curdling when thickening it?

Whisk the egg yolks with the cream first, then add a little hot sauce gradually before pouring everything back into the pot. The sauce must not be simmering at that point.

Can you use a different mushroom instead of button mushrooms?

Yes, seasonal mushrooms like oyster mushrooms work well. Cut them into similarly sized pieces so they cook evenly.

How long does it take to make a chicken in barbouille sauce with steamed potatoes?

Count 1 h 30 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a chicken in barbouille sauce with steamed potatoes?

About 690 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a chicken in barbouille sauce with steamed potatoes cost?

About €3.40 per serving, or €13.60 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose, eggs, gluten. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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