Lemony Chicken Fricassee with Shallots and Morel Mushrooms

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided (or olive oil to make paleo)
• 4 bone-in chicken thighs
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 6 small shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1/2 oz dried morels
• 1 cup water, plus chicken broth if needed
• 1 pound asparagus
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Thirty minutes before you plan on cooking (or the night before), reconstitute the morel mushrooms in 1 cup boiled water.

Drain the mushrooms through a sieve, reserving the liquid.

Roughly chop the larger mushrooms.

In a cast iron pan with deep sides, or a skillet, melt 2 tablespoons over medium high heat. Season the chicken thighs with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes on each side or until browned.

Add the shallots and morel mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.

Measure out the water you reserved from the morel mushrooms. If less than 1 cup, add some chicken broth to make it a full cup. Add this mixture to the pan, cover, and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, steam the asparagus over 1 inch of water until crisp-tender, 2 to 3 minutes.

After the chicken is cooked through, transfer the chicken to a plate.

Add the lemon juice and zest to the skillet and cook over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into the sauce and season with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve with the asparagus.

This was so comforting and satisfying! Using the liquid from the morel mushrooms really adds a lot of flavor and heartiness to the sauce. You can also use chicken breasts to make this recipe but the meat may come out a bit more dry; the chicken thighs keep moist and yummy!