Receta From Rue Tatin - Braised Chicken With Onions, White Wine & Mustard
A few years ago, my good friend, Naushon (whose unusual name you may recognize from many of the restaurant reviews on this blog) lent me a short but wonderful book called On Rue Tatin by Susan Hermann Loomis, an American cookbook writer who lives in France.
The courtyard of the house on Rue Tatin. Photo by Stacey Haines.
Susan moved to France with her husband and their young son a number of years ago and the book chronicles their journey to making a true home in the little city of Louviers in northern France. I loved it not just for the mouth-watering recipes it includes which are all gathered from her friends and acquaintances in France - the pear seller at the farmers market, the butcher, the florists across the street, the rug salesman, and more, but also for her account of the struggles and joys of cultural differences and her detailed and loving account of French life.
And as the daughter of a designer-builder and an artist who grew up in the midst of creative construction, I also enjoyed every detail about the restoration of the glorious but decrepit 12th century convent they bought and painstakingly turned into their home which is also home to Susan's cooking school.
This is one of my favorite recipes from the book although there are lots of good ones to choose from - I've also blogged about a wonderful rustic plum (or peach or apricot) tart you should try when those stone fruits are in season.
This chicken dish is simple, hearty, comforting, and easy to prepare. Easy to prepare is practically my middle name since James was born... Eve Easy-To-Prepare Fox has a nice ring to it, dontcha think?
The onions provide a delicate sweetness which mixes deliciously well with the white wine and the mustard, making for a mellow, flavorful sauce that you'll enjoy sopping up with the starch of your choice.
I think this dish goes well with pretty much anything -- salad, bread, roasted potatoes, rice, glazed carrots, haricots verts, etc. I was in a rush (as usual) so I served it with some herbed rice and a green salad.
And don't be fooled, it's much tastier than I've made it look here - it's just hard to take good pictures when you're dealing with a baby who's fussy from getting a couple of vaccines that morning and an almost four-year-old who would rather play than eat dinner. Someday there will be time for the lighting and staging you all deserve. Maybe once James starts Kindergarten in about five years. For now, we'll just make do with less than perfection.
Bon appetit!
Chicken & Onions Braised In White Wine with Mustard
From Susan Hermann Loomis' book On Rue Tatin
Ingredients
- * 1 cup of white wine, preferably something light & perfumed like a Sauvingnon Blanc or Friuli but use whatever you have around
- * 3-5 Tbsps Dijon mustard
- * About 2-3 Tbsps olive oil
- * 6 bone-in chicken thighs or 1 (whole) cut up chicken
- * 2 yellow onions, peeled, cut in half through the root and sliced into thin half circles
- * Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- * Fresh Italian parsley, chopped, enough to garnish (about half a handful)
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 475 degrees. In small bowl, whisk together wine and mustard and set aside.
2. In a Dutch oven or an oven proof pan over medium heat, brown the chicken pieces on both sides in a little olive oil until the skin is golden and crisp. Transfer chicken to a plate.
3. Add the onions to the pot and cook until tender and lightly browned. When the onions are softened, return chicken to the pot and season with salt and pepper. Pour the wine mixture over the chicken and onions.
4. Put the pot in the oven, uncovered. Roasting time will depend on what you are using -- chicken thighs cook more quickly than breasts do (maybe 30 minutes). A whole chicken will take a bit longer, closer to 45-50 minutes. Don't forget to turn the chicken pieces once or twice to keep everything moist and give both side a chance to get some crisping heat. You can add more wine if things are getting too dry.
5. Once the chicken is cooked through (when the juices run clear when pierced with a small knife), transfer the chicken to a serving platter. If the onion sauce is already thickened to your liking, pour it over the chicken. If not, place it back on the stove and cook the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency. Once it has cooked down to the way you like it, pour the remaining sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.