Middle-earth Menu: “Drogo’s Favorite Chicken”

By Astrid Tuttle Winegar

This is named for Frodo’s father, Drogo Baggins. He and his wife, Miss Primula Brandybuck, are the subject of some gossip early in The Lord of the Rings, where a few hobbits are trading stories at The Ivy Bush about Frodo’s background and how he eventually came to live with Bilbo. Apparently, Drogo’s father-in-law kept a “mighty generous table.” Drogo was “partial to his vittles” and also occasionally went “boating on the Brandywine River” (Tolkien’s Italics). At least in this pub atmosphere, any hobbit who boated was seen as unusual, if not highly suspect. One boating incident led to the death of Drogo and Primula—the main argument is whether his weight sank the boat or whether “she pushed him in, and he pulled her in after him.” No one will ever know the truth. This is a rather rich dish in honor of Drogo.

“Drogo’s Favorite Chicken”

2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon salted butter

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2-2½ pounds)

Salt & Pepper

About ¾ cup shallots, peeled and cut into ¼” slices

½ pound fresh mushrooms, cut into ¼” slices

1 tablespoon paprika

14½-ounce can low-sodium chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half

½ cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Trim off noticeable fat from the chicken thighs. In a 5-quart deep skillet, melt the 2 tablespoons butter over high heat. Place chicken in skillet; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Sauté over rather high heat 5-10 minutes. Turn over; season with more salt and pepper and sauté another 5-10 minutes, until both sides of the thighs are golden brown. Remove to a plate. Add the 1 tablespoon butter, shallots, and mushrooms. Sauté while scraping up the brown bits for 3 minutes. Add the paprika and broth and bring to a boil. Whisk the remaining ingredients in a 2-cup glass measure. Add the cream mixture and chicken with any accumulated juices to the skillet. Cook over medium/high heat for 20-30 minutes until sauce has reduced somewhat and is slightly thicker. Reduce heat to low and cook 10 more minutes. Adjust seasonings, if desired. Serve with rice, egg noodles, mashed potatoes, or crusty bread. Cover and refrigerate leftovers. Serves 4-8.

This is known as “Reginleif’s Favorite Chicken” in my cookbook.

Astrid Tuttle Winegar is the author of Cooking for Halflings & Monsters: 111 Comfy, Cozy Recipes for Fantasy-Loving Souls, which is currently available exclusively in e-book form on the Amazon Kindle, but will soon be released by Oloris Publishing! Stay tuned for details. For now, she is mostly telling a culinary Middle-earth story here on Legendarium. Astrid has loved C. S. Lewis since childhood, J. R. R. Tolkien since middle and high school, all Star things, both Trek and Wars, all things Whedon, and many other things besides… She lives in the enchanted city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, with her husband and dog. She blogs occasionally at Cooking for Halflings & Monsters. You can check out (and like!) her Facebook page or visit (and follow!) her Twitter feed. Staff Reporter.