l ounce dried morel mushrooms
l cup hot milk
l frying chicken, cut into 8 serving pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all−purpose flour
l/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons Cognac
l cup Creme Fraiche
Beurre manie (1 tablespoon all−purpose flour mixed with
1 tablespoon unsalted butter)
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
2 cups hot cooked rice
Creme Fraiche
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup sour cream
Whisk the cream and sour cream together in a mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature until thickened, about 8 hours. Put a filter in a coffee filter top or line a strainer with a double thickness of paper towels and set over a bowl. Scrape in the thickened cream.
Let drain in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, until very thick, at least 12 hours or up to 24 hours. Spoon the cream into a covered container and refrigerate. Creme Fraiche will keep in the refrigerator for 1 week.
Cover the morels with the hot milk and let them soak for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels. Heat the oil and butter together in a skillet or saute pan large enough to hold the chicken in one layer without crowding. Cook the chicken pieces over medium−high heat until golden brown on both sides, about 10 minutes altogether. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Reserve.
Strain the morel soaking liquid through a sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth. Squeeze the mushrooms with your fingers to force out as much liquid as possible. Reserve. Discard the cheesecloth with the sediment and set the liquid aside.
Rinse the mushrooms under cold running water to remove any grit. Drain and squeeze dry. Cook them over medium−low heat in the fat remaining in the skillet for about 4 minutes, stirring often.
Discard all the fat from the skillet.
Return the chicken pieces in one layer to the skillet, adding any juices from the plate. Sprinkle with the flour and thyme and turn the pieces to coat. Pour in the wine, bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, turning the chicken once. Uncover the pan and simmer until the chicken is fork−tender, about 15 minutes more.
To make the sauce, first remove the chicken and mushrooms with a slotted spoon to a bowl and cover loosely to keep warm. Degrease the pan juices. Whisk in the Cognac, mushroom liquid and Creme Fraiche. Cook, whisking, over low heat until smooth. The sauce should be just thick enough to coat a spoon. If necessary, whisk in the beurre manie, 1 teaspoon at a time, to thicken the sauce. Season to taste.
Return the chicken, mushrooms and any liquid in the bowl to the pan. Stir to coat the pieces with the sauce and heat through. Do not let boil. Spoon chicken and mushrooms onto a serving dish and serve with cooked rice.