Chicken Chasseur - French Hunter Chicken

This recipe is seriously God's gift to man. It is that good. It is an adapted version of a Cook's Illustrated recipe that I reallyreallyreally like. Do try it. And note this - it involves fire! Because it involves flambeing a dish, this recipe achieves one of the objectives I had when I started this blog - woot!

A few tips:

• Don't used dried tarragon - the fresh is essential. Indeed, I probably wouldn't make this again unless I had fresh tarragon. If you must, substitute the tarragon with an equal amount of fresh parsley.
  
• Please use a chimney match when lighting the brandy - you will burn yourself otherwise because the flames jump several feet into the air.
  
• This dish is excellent with roast potatoes or French potato pancakes (i.e., galette de pomme de terre).

1 whole chicken, about 4 pounds
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 ounces white button mushrooms , cleaned and sliced 1/8 inch thick
1 medium shallot , minced
3 tablespoons brandy
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 1/2 cups brown chicken broth
1 fresh tomato, diced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (cold), cut into 4 pieces
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves

Adjust oven rack to middle position; heat oven to 400 degrees. Cut chicken into 6 pieces and leaving the skin on, reserving the carcass for another purpose. Sprinkle chicken pieces evenly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until almost smoking. Add chicken pieces skin side down and cook without moving them until skin is crisp and well browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Using tongs, turn chicken pieces and brown on second side, about 5 minutes longer. Place browned chicken skin side up on rimmed baking sheet and set aside.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Add mushrooms and cook over medium heat until mushrooms start to brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add shallots; cook until softened, about 1 minute longer.

Remove pan from heat and add brandy; let stand until brandy warms slightly, about 10 seconds. Wave lit chimney match over skillet until brandy ignites. Return pan to medium-high heat and shake skillet until flames subside. Add wine; using wooden spoon, scrape browned bits from pan bottom. Simmer briskly until reduced to glaze, about 3 minutes.

Add broth and tomatoes and simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer briskly until liquid, mushrooms, and tomatoes measure approximately 1 1/2 cups, about 25 minutes.

While sauce simmers, place chicken in oven; roast breasts until internal temperature reaches 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer, about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer breasts to serving platter and tent loosely with foil. Continue to roast thighs/wings and legs until internal temperature reaches 175 degrees, about 10 minutes longer, then transfer to platter with breasts.

When sauce is properly reduced, whisk in butter, one piece at a time, until melted and incorporated. Add parsley and tarragon and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Spoon sauce over chicken and serve immediately.