gourmet's roasted chicken with dijon sauce - divine.

Roasted Chicken with Dijon Sauce
Gourmet | March 2008

Consider doubling or tripling the sauce portion of the recipe - it's fabulous over Yukon golds and other veggies as well. My family gets every last drop off their plates.

Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active Time: 15 min
Total Time: 45 min

3 pounds chicken parts (thighs, drumsticks, and/or breasts), with skin and bones - (i use skinless, boneless chicken breasts)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

Preheat oven to 450F with rack in middle.

Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in 2 batches, brown chicken, skin side down first and turning once, about 5 minutes per batch. (Make sure you leave the chicken to brown, letting it release from the pan on it's own. You'll get a nice, crispy and full of flavor start to your chicken.)

Return all chicken, skin side up, to skillet and roast in oven until just cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a platter, then add shallots, wine, and broth to pan juices in skillet and boil, deglazing the pan and scraping up any brown bits, until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and boil until slightly thickened, about 1 minute.

Strain sauce through a sieve into a bowl, however, if you like shallots, feel free to leave them in the sauce - I do. Whisk in mustard, chives, and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve chicken with sauce, Yukon gold potatoes and a side of green beans.