Poulet à la Moutarde
Poulet à la Moutarde·(poo-lay ah lah moo-tard)
DINNER
Naturally Keto / French Bourgeois.
Ten minutes. Abandon dry, boneless breasts and lean hard into the natural advantages of keto cooking with bone-in, skin-on thighs, dropping them into a cast-iron skillet where the pan fat sizzles, building a deeply flavored sauce without flour or starch. You sear the skin to build a sticky fond, deglaze with wine, whisk in the cream and a heavy scoop of Maille Dijon, and step away, letting the liquid reduce into a thick, clinging pan sauce while you pull out the plates.
Per serving: NET CARBS: 3.5 g Total carbs: 4.5 g | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar alcohols: 0 g Fat: 43 g | Protein: 32 g Calories: ~540
Ingredients
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs4 large
- olive oil1 tbsp
- unsalted butter1 tbsp
- shallot1 med
- garlic2 small clove
- dry white wine1/3 cup
- chicken bone broth1/2 cup
- heavy whipping cream1/2 cup
- smooth Dijon mustard2 tbsp
- whole-grain mustard1 tbsp
- fresh tarragon1 tbsp
- kosher salt1 tsp
- black pepper1/2 tsp
Method
- 01
Sear the chicken to build the foundational flavor.
Season the chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the butter is foaming, lay the chicken in the pan skin-side down and leave it completely undisturbed for 6 to 7 minutes until deeply golden and crispy. Use this passive searing window to chop the shallot and mince the garlic.
- 02
Flip the thighs and set them aside.
Flip the chicken to sear the meat side for 2 minutes, then transfer the thighs to a plate. Leave all the rendered fat in the pan.
- 03
Sauté the aromatics in the rendered fat.
Lower the heat to medium. Add the chopped shallots to the chicken fat and sauté for 2 minutes until softened, then stir in the garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- 04
Deglaze the pan to lift the fond.
Pour in the white wine. It will bubble aggressively—use a wooden spoon to vigorously scrape up all the caramelized browned bits stuck to the bottom. Let the wine reduce by half, which should take about a minute.
- 05
Whisk the mustard and cream sauce.
Pour in the chicken broth and heavy cream, then whisk in both the smooth Dijon and whole-grain mustards until the sauce is uniform. Bring it to a very gentle simmer.
- 06
Return the chicken to the pan and braise.
Nestle the chicken thighs back into the pan, skin-side up, ensuring the crispy skin remains above the liquid line. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let it simmer for 20 to 25 minutes until the chicken is tender. Garnish with fresh tarragon and serve immediately.
Notes
Mustard Label Verification
Always check the labels on your mustard. Traditional brands like Maille use only mustard seeds, vinegar, water, and salt. Many supermarket brands sneak high-fructose corn syrup or honey into their Dijon blends, which will silently sabotage your daily macro budget.
The Wine Swap
If you prefer not to cook with wine, replace the 1/3 cup of white wine with an additional 1/3 cup of chicken broth mixed with 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar. This provides the necessary acidic backbone to cut through the heavy cream without adding the trace carbs of the wine.
Serving Suggestion
This sauce is incredibly rich and demands to be soaked up. Serve this alongside a pile of butter-roasted cauliflower or a simple bed of fresh green beans pan-fried in olive oil.
From Keto 10 Minute Meals.