Creamy Lemon Dijon Chicken

This meal is incredibly delicious, and simple. It's one of my favorite week night meals because if you time it right- you can have everything in and out of the oven at the same time. When choosing cuts of meat to cook up for dinner I always gravitate towards the meat that is still on the bone. It enables the bone nutrients to infuse into the meat, imparting wonderful flavors. Heat, water, and acid break down the collagen. When making cooking meat with a small about of liquid you infuse it with molecules called glycosaminoglycans. These molecules act as joint growth factors, keeping the collagen in your joints healthy and facilitating the repair of damaged joints. Purchasing meat on the bone is also more affordable because these days most shoppers are looking for boneless, skinless cuts.

Active time: 30 minutes - Total time: 2 hours / Serves 4-6

ingredients

• 3-4 PASTURE RAISED CHICKEN THIGHS OR ONE PORTIONED WHOLE CHICKEN
• 3 CUPS BONE BROTH
• 1 TEASPOON OF SEA SALT
• 2 TABLESPOONS HOMEMADE DIJON MUSTARD
• 2 SPRIGS OF FRESH TARRAGON, CHOPPED
• 3 TABLESPOON OF UNSALTED GRASS FED BUTTER
• 1/2 YELLOW ONION, SLICED
• 1/4 CUP ORGANIC WHITE WINE
• 1 TEASPOON GARLIC POWDER
• ONE LEMON, CUT IN HALF; HALF JUICED, HALF SLICED
• 4 TABLESPOONS Crème Fraîche

method

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large cast iron pan over low heat. Add onions and chopped tarragon and cook until onions are golden brown and fragrant. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, pat chicken completely dry. In a small bowl combine the salt, pepper, garlic powder, lemon juice, and mustard. Rub the mixture first on the bare side, then on the skin side. Place the chicken skin side up on top of the onions in the cast iron pan. Arrange the sliced lemons on top of the skin.

Pour 1 1/2 cups of bone broth into the pan, then transfer to the oven. Bake for one hour at 375 then increase the heat to 410 for 10 minutes to crisp up the skin. Turn the oven down to warm. Once the chicken skin is a nice golden brown, remove from pan and reserve on a platter in the warm oven. Strain the mixture from the pan into a gravy separator, then return only the stock portion (careful not to pour the fat back in) to the pan over high heat. This step is very important, you do not want to boil the fat because it will oxidize and get denatured over the heat.

Add the white wine, and remaining stock to the pan and simmer until you reach a thick caramel like consistency. Be sure not to leave the stove at this time because it reduces fairly quickly towards the end.

Immediately take the pan off the heat, add the remaining butter and crème fraîche. Return the thighs to the pan, coat in the sauce, and serve.

Want to learn how to make your own bone broth?

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