There’s something about a roast chicken that feels fancy. Just the sight of a beautifully bronzed bird elicits a hushed “ooooh” from me every time (and in case you think I’m a weirdo, it usually gets a more audible response from onlookers, so … ). And that crackling sound when you cut into perfectly crisp skin? Music to my ears.
This recipe takes the magic of roast chicken and adds a few of my favorite things. Dijon mustard. White wine. Shallots. Cream. I would drink this sauce every day. I’d slather myself in it. (It would probably be good for my skin.) I’d bathe in it. Ok now I’m getting creepy again, but you catch my drift — it’s GOOD. It’s piquant and lush, and creates a velvety bed for the juicy chicken under those crisp, crisp skins. (Ok I’ll stop now.)
At the risk of scaring you all and maybe definitely drooling all over my keyboard, I’ll stop here. But make this chicken. Make extra sauce. You won’t regret it.
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PinIngredients
- 3 pounds whole chicken legs (thigh and leg), skin on
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 small shallots, thinly sliced
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 3/4 cup low-sodium or sodium-free chicken broth
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used coarse, but smooth is fine)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives or the green parts of scallions
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F.
- Pat the chicken dry and season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in batches, brown the chicken, skin side down first, flipping once. (Take your time and don’t move the chicken until the skin releases itself and has bronzed nicely.)
- Add back all of the chicken, skin side up, to the skillet and roast in the oven until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes. (When pierced with a knife, the juices should run clear.) Set the chicken aside.
- Return the skillet to the stovetop and add the shallots, wine and broth to the pan juices in the skillet. Boil, scraping up any brown bits, until the sauce has reduced by half, 3-5 minutes.
- Add the cream and boil until thickened, about 5 minutes. (If you want a thinner sauce, boil for only 2-3 minutes.)
- Whisk in the mustard, chives, and salt and pepper to taste (you probably won’t need salt). Nestle the chicken in the sauce and serve.
Notes
- I used an unoaked Chardonnay, but any dry white wine will do.
- Also, using a low-sodium (or more preferably, a sodium-free) chicken broth is ideal, since salt concentrates in the sauce as it reduces. Using a full-sodium broth may cause the final sauce to be too salty.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
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