Description
This delicious dish features juicy chicken thighs cooked in a flavorful sauce inspired by the classic French sole veronique. It’s simple to prepare and perfect for impressing guests.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6–8 chicken thighs, skin-on and bone-in
- Dash vegetable oil
- Knob of unsalted butter
- 1 large shallot, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 100g white wine
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 100g good quality chicken stock
- 150ml single cream
- 100g white grapes, halved lengthways
- 3 large tarragon sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the Oven: Heat your oven to 180°C fan/gas 6.
- Sear the Chicken: In a large stainless steel frying pan over medium-high heat, add a dash of vegetable oil. Season the chicken thighs with salt and place them skin-side down in the hot pan. Cook until the skin is very crisp and golden (about 7-10 minutes). Avoid moving them around; if some parts brown slower, press down with a spatula.
- Bake the Chicken: Once the skin is crisp, transfer the thighs to a baking dish (skin-side up) and finish cooking in the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the thighs.
- Prepare the Sauce: In the same frying pan (do not clean it), add a knob of butter, the sliced shallot, and garlic. Gently cook for 3-5 minutes until softened but not browned.
- Deglaze the Pan: Pour in the white wine, scraping up the fond (the brown bits) from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer and reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
- Build the Sauce: Stir in the wholegrain mustard and chicken stock, and reduce by half again, approximately 5 minutes. Add the cream and reduce further to your desired sauce consistency.
- Finish the Sauce: Gently fold in the halved grapes and season with salt. Stir in the chopped tarragon.
- Combine and Serve: Nestle the cooked chicken thighs back into the sauce and serve immediately. Pair with steamed green vegetables and either roast potatoes or rice for a complete meal.
Notes
For a richer flavor, consider adding a splash of lemon juice before serving.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
- Category: main course
- Method: Pan-Frying
- Cuisine: French-inspired
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 chicken thigh with sauce
- Calories: 400
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 8g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 30g
- Cholesterol: 100mg