Poulet Celestine… So Saucy!
Chicken in wine sauce is another delicious French chicken recipe that is so simple to make but the taste is divine! The dish is made in one pan with brandy, white wine (substitutions below), tomatoes, button mushrooms, with a little cream, and bacon. It is a good recipe for a family meal or entertaining. You will be the envy of your friends with this one!
The chicken for this recipe as with all French chicken recipes is of good quality in France. That's because they are very proud of their poultry and you will notice if you have chicken when on holiday in France that it is far tastier than our supermarket chickens.
This delicious chicken dish will be a recipe you will want to cook again and again!
However, we can buy free range chicken and although it is expensive, it is worth it for the taste and of course for the welfare of the chickens. If you cannot afford a free range chicken, simply buy the best you can and your food will always taste great.
You can buy chicken pieces for this dish but the traditional way is to cut a whole chicken into pieces. This way is so much more economical and you will get a much better flavor for your finished dish.
More Chicken Recipes To Love
- Chicken With Grapes or Supremes de Volaille Veronique is served with a scrumptious creamy sauce that is made in the pan with the chicken!
- Colorful and appetizing, Chicken Chasseur is a dish so easy to fall in love with.
- Roasted Chicken Provencal is chicken pieces cooked alongside shallots, lemons, and garlic in vermouth, all of which are enveloped in a fragrant layer of Herbes de Provence.
📖 Recipe
Prep Like a Pro
Before you start cooking, chop, measure, and prep every ingredient, and gather your tools.
This simple habit reduces stress, prevents overcooking, and instantly improves your meals. Mise en Place - "Everything in its place."
Chicken In Wine Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 medium size roasting chicken cut into pieces
- 1 oz 25g butter
- A liqueur glass of brandy
- 4 oz 120ml, ½ cup white wine
- 3 oz 75gcream
- ½ lb 225g fresh tomatoes, peeled and chopped
- 4 oz 100glean bacon
- ¼ lb 100g small button mushrooms
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
- Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed pan.
- Place the bacon in the pan with the chicken pieces and cook until golden brown.
- Add the brandy and set alight.
- When the flames have died down add the wine to the pan.
- Cook for 2 minutes then add the tomatoes to the pan, the mushrooms and stir in the cream.
- Season with salt and pepper and cook on a low heat for about 30 - 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
- Remove the chicken pieces to a hot plate and if the sauce is too thin, boil the sauce for a few minutes to reduce and thicken.
- Serve with new potatoes and French green beans or whatever takes your fancy! It is good with noodles too.
- Bon appétit!
Notes
- apple Cider Vinegar (½ vinegar and ½ water)
- chicken or vegetable Broth
- apple Juice
- white Grape Juice
- white Wine Vinegar
- ginger Ale
- water
- fruit juices like:
- white grape juice
- apple juice
- diluted peach, pear or apricot syrups
- apple cider
- apple cider vinegar
- water
Sandra Nicholls says
Love French recipes and food we need more French restaurants.Use quality ingredients.
Judith Coates says
I completely agree Sandra. Thank you for your comment! 🙌
Judith says
This is a remarkably easy recipe to put together and tastes delightfully French! (っ˘ڡ˘ς)
Francois de Melogue says
Possibly a good recipe but this is NOT Poulet Celestine. Poulet Celestine does not have bacon, cream, or brandy. Only in modern times did this recipe devolve and sadly, you made it further from the romantic dish made to win the heart of Célestine Blanchard. All these additions completely change the nature of the dish into something new.
Here is the first written recipe: Lucien Tendret – La Table au pays de Brillat-Savarin (1892)
Original French:
"Le poulet sauté à la Célestine, créé par un chef de cuisine lyonnais, est une poulette découpée, sautée au beurre, mouillée de vin blanc, avec des tomates et des champignons hachés, relevée par une pointe d'ail et du persil."
Exact Translation:
"The chicken sautéed in the Célestine style, created by a Lyonnais chef de cuisine, is a young hen cut up, sautéed in butter, moistened with white wine, with tomatoes and chopped mushrooms, enhanced by a touch of garlic and parsley."
Judith Coates says
Thank you, I truly appreciate that you took the time to share this historical context. The original story is a charming one and the 1892 description by Lucien Tendret is a good first step in understanding the dish in its beginning.
My version is inspired by the traditional Lyonnaise dish but also reflects how the recipe has evolved over time in French home kitchens. Many regional dishes have taken on modern variations, and I enjoy exploring and trying new versions while still respecting their roots.
That said, I love learning more about the original techniques and ingredients, and I’m grateful you shared this source.
I hope you’ll still find something to enjoy in my version, even if it differs from the historical recipe. Your insight adds richness to the conversation, so thank you again for sharing it.