Poulet à la Moutarde

Poulet à la Moutarde

Poultry
French, Main Dish

Serves 4-6

A generous quantity of Dijon mustard enlivens this winey, creamy chicken dish. Delicious on its own, or served with rice or pasta.

Ingredients #

  • ½ c + 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • ½ tsp sweet or smoked paprika
  • 4 chicken thighs (on the bone, with skin)
  • 4 chicken drumsticks (with skin)
  • 1 c diced thick-cut bacon
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 c white wine
  • 1 tbsp whole-grain mustard
  • 2-3 tbsp crème fraiche or heavy cream
  • Chopped parsley for garnish

Instructions #

In a bowl large enough to hold the chicken, mix ½ cup of Dijon mustard with the paprika, ¾ tsp. Kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Add the chicken pieces and toss to coat thoroughly, pushing some of the mustard mixture under the skin of each piece. Set aside.

Heat a wide skillet or Dutch oven over medium high heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until it’s cooked through and starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Remove the bacon to drain on paper towels. Place the drained bacon in a bowl and set aside. Leave about 1 tbsp. fat in the pan, discarding the rest. Add the onion to the bacon drippings and cook over medium-high heat until soft and translucent. Stir in the thyme and cook for a few minutes, and then scrape the onions and thyme into the bowl with the bacon.

Add the olive oil to the skillet. When it is shimmering and hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer (if the pieces don’t all fit, cook them in two batches – don’t crowd or stack). Brown them well on all sides – the browning of the chicken (and the brown bits on the bottom of the pan) contributes much to the rich flavor of the finished sauce.

Place the chicken pieces aside with the bacon and onions. Add the wine to the skillet and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping to release the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with the bacon and onions. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, turning the chicken once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through (15-25 minutes).

Remove the pan from heat and transfer the chicken to a platter. Stir the remaining 3 tbsp. Dijon mustard into the pan, along with the whole-grain mustard and cream. If the sauce is too thick, add warm water a spoonful at a time. Taste and correct seasoning as necessary.

Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.