Mountain Gourmet Lab. Chicken and Maitake Mushrooms in Sherry Stew

I tried the dish "Chicken Stewed in Yellow Wine" prepared by MGL Chef Tajima in the Jura region of France. It was so delicious that I still remember it to this day.

The meticulous preparation took over two years, and the use of a generous amount of sherry naturally led to a higher price tag. However, MGL, convinced that this dish was worth the price, finalized the recipe. The entire dish is enhanced with Japanese ingredients, with the dashi flavor of maitake mushrooms and the umami of Nagasu chicken complementing the tangy acidity of the sherry. The dish draws inspiration from the rugged mountains of the Northern Alps and the mineral-rich soil of the Jura region.

However, the actual production process was incredibly difficult. The chicken, maitake mushrooms, sauce, and rice—every component was meticulously cooked, air-dried, and then repackaged. It took MGL over a year to find a food factory capable of handling all these complex processes and achieving the desired quality. They then worked with the factory, constantly refining the recipe and adjusting the cooking method. Another year was spent sifting through the ingredients' suppliers. Finally, they achieved a dish they could be proud of.

COMMENT

My first encounter with this dish began in Angers in France's Loire Valley, and we journeyed eastward, visiting numerous wineries before finally arriving in Arbois in the Jura region. At the winery, we opened over 20 bottles of wine, including white, red, and vin jaune. The rich minerality and acidity of Jura wines whetted our appetites, leaving us wanting more. We ordered "coq au vin jaune," a vin jaune version of coq au vin. (Vin Jaune is a white wine made from Savagnin grapes in the Jura region. Its unique production method imparts aromas of walnuts, nuts, and almonds. It also boasts spicy oriental notes like cumin and nutmeg, along with elegant sweet notes like ripe pear, apricot, and tender lamb chunks, and honey.)

The soup was generously filled with chunks of yellow-fleshed lamb. The chef also prepared multigrain rice cooked in a cocotte, saying, "For Japanese people, rice is delicious." When drizzled with yellow wine, it was incredibly delicious... The pleasurable sensation seemed to reach the surface of the brain, particularly the nervous system that controls comfort, gently soothing it. This profound experience inspired Tajima to create the dish "Sherry-braised Chicken and Maitake Mushroom Risotto."

Chef Yoshifumi Tajima

Details

• Net weight: 90g
• Finished product weight: 330g (*The finished product weight may vary slightly due to cooking process and temperature.)
• Storage method: Store at room temperature, avoid direct sunlight
• Please consume as soon as possible after opening.
• Contains deoxidizer, please remove before cooking.
• Best before: February 2026