Chicken Braised in Mustard and Verjuice

This recipe is adapted from the newest edition of Gourmet Traveller. I think I literally folded every page of this edition because there wasn’t a recipe in it that I didn’t want to try. However, this one in particular captured my eye. It is that perfect weeknight meal which is a bit fancy but at the same time so easy to make. In GT they served it with buttered green beans but the pasta lover that I am couldn’t resist serving it with pasta although it would be equally delightful served with creamy mashed potatoes or rice.

 

Now to the meal … The meat from the Marylands starts to fall off the bone and is beautifully tender. The verjuice combined with the lemon gives it a beautiful freshness to cut through the silky richness of the mustard and cream. Seriously, if you are looking for that weeknight meal with a bit of glamour this is the way to go!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

30 gm butter, coarsely chopped

6 chicken Marylands, halved into drumsticks and thighs

1 leak, thinly sliced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

Finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon

150 ml verjuice

1½ tbsp Dijon mustard

250 ml/ 1 cup chicken stock

80 ml/ 1/3 cup pouring cream

3 sprigs each of thyme and tarragon plus coarsely chopped parsley to serve

 

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Heat the oil and butter in a large and shallow cast iron dish over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces skin-side down and cook, turning occasionally, until golden. Once golden transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the mushrooms, leek, garlic and rind to the cast iron dish and allow to fry  for 5 minutes. Deglaze pan with verjuice, stir in mustard, then add stock and cream. Bring to the boil, add chicken pieces, skin-side up, then add herbs and season to taste. Transfer to over and braise until chicken is cooked through (20 – 30 mins). Stir in lemon juice and check seasons.

Serve with whatever you desire and enjoy!

Courtesy to Gourmet Traveller OCT 2014 for the recipe xoxo