French cooking has a way of making rustic, country-style comfort food such as this chicken blanquette appear plain and simple when presented. But there’s nothing plain or simple about it. Blanquette, from the French word blanc, meaning white, is the whole point of the dish. Nothing gets browned — not the chicken, not the vegetables, nor the mushrooms. None of the ingredients try to compete with the others for color. And that keeps it as delicate-looking as it tastes.
It only took me 2 hours to gently prepare this delicately crafted dish, but oh, was it worth it! As with most French dishes, the sauce is the show. This delight of a dish pairs well with steamed white rice, mashed potato, buttered noodles, or slices of crusty sourdough.
