Chicken Dijonnaise

My husband and I absolutely LOVE this dish. This is right up there with Chicken Marbella. In fact, it is from the same cookbook, The Silver Palate Cookbook by Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins. This is a really nice, simple dish that we serve with rice and broccoli. We love to drizzle the sauce over the whole plate and dig in! Enjoy!

Chicken Dijonnaise

1 Chicken (2 1/2 to 3 lbs.), quartered-- I don't do this, I just buy chicken drumsticks and thighs since thats what my husband likes.

1/3 cup mustard- we use three types: Mild & Creamy dijon mustard (made with white wine), Harvest coarse ground with whole mustard seeds and Regular Dijon mustard (all three are Grey Poupon). Also this measurement is only for spreading on the chicken, we add more mustard when making the sauce to have more of it.

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1/2 cup vermouth or dry white wine (we use the wine)

1/2 cup Creme Fraiche or heavy cream- we use the creme fraiche. For us you can buy it in 8oz containers and we use the whole container when making the sauce, so instead of a 1/2 cup we use 1 cup.

Salt, to taste

Coat the chicken with the mustard and set it in a bowl, covered to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350.

Arrange the chicken, skin side up, in a flameproof baking dish. Scrape out any mustard remaining in the bowl and spread it evenly over the chicken. Season lightly with salt and pepper and pour the wine around the chicken.

Set the dish on the center rack of the oven and bake, basting occasionally, until the chicken is done, 1 hour. You may have to bake the dark meat sections for another 5 to 10 minutes.

Scrape the mustard off the chicken and back into the backing dish (I always use a small sauce pan, it is easier for us). Transfer the chicken pieces to a serving platter, cover and keep warm.

Skim as much fat as possible from the cooking juices and set the baking dish over medium heat (or small sauce pan) This is where I add extra mustard (I always add equal amounts of all 3 kinds and I just add as much as I think will make enough sauce to our liking). Bring to a boil, whisk in the creme fraiche and lower the heat. Simmer the sauce until it is reduced by about one third, 5 to 10 minutes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Taste, correct the seasoning if needed and spoon sauce over the chicken (and sides if you wish). Serve hot or at room temperature.