DIJON CHICKEN


 Easy one pot braised chicken in mustard sauce that will please the whole family.

This recipe was shared with me by one of our cooking school students. A family staple for many years, he praised this particular version of Dijon Chicken for its simplicity and delightful flavors. While Poulet à la Dijonnaise, as it is called in France, is not new to me, I couldn't resist trying this iteration from an old cookbook by Audrey Ellis, a friend of the British baking and cake specialist Mary Berry.


INGREDIENTS

Serves 4

  • 1 chicken cut into 4 to 6 pieces

  • Salt and white pepper to season

  • Flour to dust the chicken

  • 40 g (1.4 oz) butter

  • 2 small bay leaves

  • Branch of fresh thyme

  • 200 ml (6.8 fl oz)white wine (Chardonnay works well)

  • 200 ml (6.8 fl oz)or more pure cream (heavy or whipping cream)

  • 2 egg yolks

  • 2 to 3 tbsp Dijon mustard

  • 1 or 2 pinch cayenne pepper


MISE EN PLACE

Separate the egg yolks from the whites. Season the chicken pieces with salt and white pepper, then lightly dust each piece with flour. Preheat the oven to 50 degrees Celsius (120°F).

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a sauté pan or large skillet over medium heat, then sauté the chicken on both sides until golden brown.

  2. Add the thyme and bay leaf to the pan, then pour in the wine. Cover with a lid and let it cook on gentle heat for 25 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

  3. Scoop out the chicken pieces and place them on a tray or plate. Cover with foil and keep them warm in the oven while you make the sauce.

  4. Pass the cooking juices left in the pan through a sieve, then return them to the pan. Let the cooking juices reduce on high heat for a minute or two. Add the cream, reduce it for a few more minutes, and then turn off the heat.

  5. Mix the two egg yolks with a few tablespoons of the sauce, then add the mixture back to the pan and stir gently. Follow by adding the mustard and give the sauce another stir.

  6. To finish, turn the heat back on very low. Take the chicken out of the oven and pour any cooking juices from the tray or pan into the sauce. Stir gently before adding the chicken pieces back to the pan.

  7. Warm up the chicken in the sauce until it's hot enough to serve, making sure the sauce never boils (to avoid splitting the sauce).

  8. Serve directly from the pan or on a warm serving dish, with a side of potato mash or white rice.



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