My sister Leslie gave me a cook book for my birthday (always a good idea!) by David Lebovitz called My Paris Kitchen, and what a wonderful culinary memior it is! David worked for 13 years at Chez Panisse and then moved to Paris over a decade ago. This big beautiful book is filled with stories of Parisian life along with gorgeous pictures and recipes of the way the French cook today. A picture of this rich, savory chicken dish is featured on the cover. Since I am lacking the impressive copper pan he used to cook and showcase the finished product, I am borrowing David’s photo! We thought this was delicious, and when I make it again I think I will prepare it earlier in the day, or even the day before and reheat either on the stove or in the oven. This dish requires that you brown the chicken pieces and David recommends that unless you have a very large skillet or Dutch oven, that you do it in batches so that they brown and not steam. You will definitely want some pasta or potatoes to sop up the delicious sauce.
1/2 cup plus 3 Tbs. Dijon mustard, divided use
1/4 tsp. sweet or smoked paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
3/4 tsp. sea salt or kosher salt
4 chicken thighs and 4 legs
1 cup diced smoked thick-cut bacon
1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp. dried
1 cup white wine
1 Tbs. whole mustard seeds, or grainy mustard
2 to 3 Tbs. creme fraiche, or heavy cream
warm water
chopped fresh flat-leafed parsley or chives, for garnish
Mix 1/2 cup of the Dijon mustard in a bowl with the paprika, a few generous grinds of the peppermill, and the salt. Toss the chicken pieces in the mustard mixture, lifting the skin and rubbing some of it underneath.
Heat a wide skillet with a cover or a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until it’s cooked through and just starting to brown. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Leave about 1 Tbs. of bacon fat in the pan, discarding the rest. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent . Stir in the thyme, and let cook for another few minutes, then scrape the cooked onion into a large bowl.
Add a little bit of olive oil to the pan, if necessary, and place the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer. (If they don’t all fit, cook them in two batches.) Cook over medium-high heat , browning them well on one side, then flip them over and brown on the other side. It’s important to get the chicken nicely colored as the coloring -as well as the darkened bits on the bottom of the pan called the fond -will give the finished sauce it’s delicious flavor.
Remove the chicken pieces and put them in the bowl with the onions. Add the wine to the hot pan, scraping the darkened bits off the bottom with a sturdy flat utensil. Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with the bacon and onions. Cover and cook over low to medium heat, turning the chicken a few times in the sauce, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Check doneness by sticking a knife into the meat next to the thigh bone; if it’s red, continue cooking for a few more minutes..
Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the 3 Tbs. Dijon mustard , the mustard seeds, and the creme fraiche. If the sauce has reduced and is quite thick, you can thin it with a little warm water. Sprinkle parsley over the top and serve. Serves 4 to 6.
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