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Juicy chicken a la moutarde, wine and mustard sauce

Chicken in a Wine and Mustard Sauce

This dish is elegant but deceptively easy.  Seared Chicken legs or thighs are added to sautéed onions, shallots and garlic, and then simmered in a combination of white wine, cream, herbes de Provence and two mustards.  The final result is a sauce that you will want to soak up with crusty bread, and tender juicy chicken.

Course Main Course
Cuisine French
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 3-4 lbs chicken legs thighs or even breasts on the bone (if whole legs are large, one leg per person is good)
  • Kosher salt
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 medium onion diced small
  • 4 large shallots or 6 small to medium thinly sliced lengthwise
  • 2 garlic cloves finely minced
  • 1 tbsp olive oil if needed
  • 1 tbsp herbes de Provence see Notes below for making your own
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup creme fraiche if you don't have access to any, and don't wish to make your own, just use 1 cup of the heavy cream- next ingredient
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 5 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp grainy mustard
  • 1 tbsp fresh chopped thyme

Instructions

  1. Dry the chicken pieces with paper towel and season liberally with salt. Don't be shy.
  2. Heat a large frying pan or shallow pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and melt until it is starting to bubble.
  3. Add the chicken pieces, skin side down, and sear, cooking until browned, about 5 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. Don't rush this. You want a deep brown skin. Remove to a plate.
  4. Add the onion, shallots and garlic to the pan. Add a touch of olive oil if needed.
  5. Cook until just softened, about 5 minutes.
  6. Add the dry herbs and the wine. Stir to combine. Bring the liquids to a rolling simmer/boil.
  7. Whisk in the creme fraiche and cream, as well as both of the mustards.
  8. Drop the heat to a simmer and cook to help the flavours meld together. Add another 1/2 tsp of kosher salt to start with to taste. If needed, add a bit more.
  9. Place the chicken pieces in the sauce, skin side up. Add any juices that may have collected back into the sauce as well.
  10. Keep the heat at a good simmer, and cook uncovered until the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes. You can partially cover the pan, but it will cause some of the moisture to fall back into the pan, causing the skin to lose its crispness.
  11. About 10 minutes before the chicken is done, sprinkle the fresh thyme over everything and continue cooking.
  12. This dish can be served with boiled baby potatoes, mashed potatoes, basmati rice, or even pasta. Whatever carb your family is into!

Recipe Notes

Herbes de Provence recipe

2 tbsp plus 11/2 tsp dried oregano, 2 tbsp plus 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tbsp dried savory, 2 tbsp dried crushed lavender (optional), 1 tsp dried basil, 1 tsp dried sage, 1 tsp dried crushed rosemary. Blend and store in an airtight container (glass jar)

Creme Fraiche recipe

Combine 1 cup whipping cream and 1 tablespoon buttermilk in a glass container. Stir and cover and let stand at room temperature 24 hours, or until very thick. If it doesn't seem evenly thickened, add 1 more tbsp of buttermilk and stir. It may seem to take a long time. Don't worry, it will come together. Stir well before covering and refrigerate up to 10 days.