A long time ago, I came across a tiny little restaurant in the backstreet of Paris. This simple restaurant, frequented by the lunchtime office crowd, served the most heavenly chasseur on a small coccote with a stick of baguette. Ever since then, I have been trying to get my chasseur to that standard. Here’s the closest I got to:

Butter
Shallots or half a sliced Spanish onion (former is better) 3 cloves whole garlic Button mushrooms
1 tsp. tomato puree
A generous shot of brandy
2 ripe red tomatoes
Ladle of fresh chicken stock
4 tbsp. double cream
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Brown the chicken and set aside.

Saute the shallot/onion until soft. Return chicken to the pan. Add the mushrooms and tomato puree. Add the brandy and flambé it. Add the tomatoes and chicken stock. Reduce to a third. Add the cream, and season to taste. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes, ensuring that the sauce is kept thick and consistent, but not burnt or dry.

Serve with fresh baguette, or if you are feeling decadent, make garlic bread to go with it.