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Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken thighs in any kind of sauce with bacon and wine is going to be well-received in this house.  And you know any recipe from David Lebovitz is going to be good.  This chicken in mustard sauce is from his book My Paris Kitchen.  I don't have this book yet, but I'm hoping I will this Christmas.  Hint, hint.

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Anyway, I've seen so many people adapt this recipe all over the web.  I finally got around to trying it and ~ wow ~ amazing.  Simple, rustic, very French and just a beautiful dish.

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

I'm pretty sure I've made something similar before.  My eye tends to go for recipes with wine, cream and mustard.  And bacon?  I'm there in a heartbeat.

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken in mustard is so simple, and surprisingly, very little cream is used to achieve such a savory sauce.  The sauce is already richly reduced with the mustard and wine, just a few tablespoons of cream are needed to finish it off.  I served it with fresh lemon herb orzo ~ perfect to sop up that tangy mustard sauce.

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken in mustard sauce, with bacon, wine, thyme and cream, seems like a special occasion type of dish, and it is.  But it is just as welcome on a weeknight, and that's exactly when I made it.  Do I even need to tell you how good any leftovers are the next day?  Thank you David Lebovitz for sharing your poulet à la moutarde in My Paris Kitchen.  Can't wait to get my copy ~ again, hint, hint.

Best, Kelly

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken in Mustard Sauce

Chicken in Mustard Sauce. Classic French cuisine, made with chicken thighs, mustard, bacon, onion and a little cream to finish it off.
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: French
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 578kcal

Ingredients

  • ½ cup Dijon mustard ~ I like Maille
  • ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
  • Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
  • ¾ teaspoon sea salt
  • 6 chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
  • 1 cup thick-cut bacon, diced
  • 1 small onion, finely diced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard ~ I used coarse ground Dijon
  • 2 - 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • Chopped flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
  • Lemon Herb Orzo, for serving (see below)

Instructions

  • Mix Dijon mustard in bowl with smoked paprika, generous amount of black pepper and sea salt. Add the chicken thighs and toss to coat completely, including rubbing some under the skin. Set aside.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium high heat and add bacon. Cook, just until softened and starting to brown ~ not crisped ~ about 5 minutes or so. Remove to paper-towel lined plate. Reserve 1 tablespoon of drippings in the pan and add onion. Cook and stir until translucent, about another 5 minutes. Stir in thyme and cook another minute or two. Remove the cooked onion and thyme to the plate with the bacon.
  • Add another tablespoon of bacon drippings, or olive oil, to the pan and brown the chicken thighs in 2 batches, you don't want to crowd the pan. Start with skin side down, brown well, then flip and brown the other side. Remove to plate with bacon and onions.
  • The bottom of the pan will have a nice fond ~ the darkened bits that give the sauce incredible depth of flavor. (Be careful when browning the chicken not to burn this fond that is forming, turn down heat if needed.) Add the wine to the skillet and stir and scrape up the bits on the bottom with a sturdy metal spatula. Return chicken to the pan, along with the bacon and onions. Cover and simmer over low heat, for about 20 - 25 minutes, turning the chicken pieces a few times, until the chicken is cooked through.
  • Remove pan from heat. Transfer chicken to a plate. Whisk in 1 tablespoon of grainy mustard and 3 tablespoons heavy cream. Return to low heat, bring to simmer and taste for salt and pepper. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it out with a little warm water. Nestle chicken back in pan and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve with pasta or orzo.

Recipe Notes

Lemon Herb Orzo: To 8 ounces of cooked orzo, add 2 tablespoons butter, juice of a small lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine and butter is melted. Add ⅓ - ½ cup chopped fresh mixed herbs, such as parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme and oregano. That's what I had and used. Any combination will work with the parsley.

Nutrition

Calories: 578kcal Carbohydrates: 5g Protein: 30g Fat: 45g Saturated Fat: 15g Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g Monounsaturated Fat: 19g Trans Fat: 1g Cholesterol: 182mg Sodium: 925mg Potassium: 480mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 385IU Vitamin C: 2mg Calcium: 46mg Iron: 2mg
Did you make this recipe? Please comment, rate it and share! And mention me on Instagram @thehungrybluebird or tag #thehungrybluebird so I can see!

*Chicken in Mustard adapted from My Paris Kitchen and Leite's Culinaria

Recipe Rating




Nancy McCall

Friday 13th of October 2017

I can't believe this was posted a year ago and there's only one comment here. I made this tonight, and it was so delicious I can hardly stand it! I'm absolutely putting it on a regular rotation.

Mark Wildenhaus

Friday 14th of October 2016

It tastes as good as it looks! Incredible.