Chicken Saute with Carrots, Leeks, Mustard & Cream

I was updating my recipe page recently and was surprised by how few chicken recipes there are. We actually eat quite a bit of chicken, but I suppose I tend to just make the same preparations time and again - barbecued chicken, chicken cutlets with garlic and white wine... The realization made me look for some new recipes and I came across this one in a book my mom had given me a few years ago called Easy Comfort Food. The book is chock full of braises, bakes, roasts - all meals that will soothe the soul after a long day. This one is pretty simple - most of the ingredients are common pantry ingredients and I only made a few small modifications from the original...

You can skip broiling the chicken at the end if you want to save time. We like love crispy chicken skin so I wanted to crisp it before serving. I served the dish with some crusty bread and a simple green salad.



Chicken Saute with Carrots, Leeks, Mustard & Cream
adapted from Easy Comfort Food

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
8-10 chicken thighs, or a combination of thighs and legs
salt and pepper
10 oz. carrots, peeled and thickly sliced at an angle
10 oz. leeks, white and pale green parts only, cut into 1-inch slices
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 cup dry white wine
a handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 Tbsp. heavy cream
1-2 Tbsp. whole grain Dijon mustard
Additional parsley for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a wide shallow pan with a lid, large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Add the chicken and brown on both sides, about 3-6 minutes per side. Work in batches if necessary. Remove chicken to a plate.

Add the carrots and leeks to the pan and cook over high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic and a little salt and cook for 1-2 minutes more, stirring so the garlic doesn't burn. Add the wine and stir, scraping up any bits that have stuck to the pan.

Return the chicken to the pan and bury under the vegetables. Add the parsley, cover, and simmer gently for 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken with tongs. Raise the heat and reduce slightly, about 8-10 minutes. At this point, if you want to crisp the chicken skin, put the chicken, skin side up, on a baking sheet and broil until crispy. Stir in the cream and mustard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the vegetables and sauce over the chicken.

Serves 4.