When I was growing up, we always had Dijon mustard in the fridge, mainly to eat with boiled meats, pork sausages or ham, said Paola Bacchia. But Mamma also paired it with chicken, garlic and wine in a dish she cooked in her electric frying pan. I used to think it contained cream, as the sauce was so creamy – but, in fact, it didn't. The leeks are my addition, and make an ideal bed for the chicken thighs. This dish is lovely with mashed potatoes, polenta or even bread – anything that will catch the delicious sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 large leeks
- 6 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in
- 2tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 80ml white wine or dry white vermouth
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 15g butter
- 2 heaped tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1tsp dried thyme
- 200ml good-quality chicken stock
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Method
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
- Preheat the oven to 160°C fan. Finely slice the white and pale green stem of the leeks, discarding the roots and tough darker-green leaves. Soak the leek slices in a large bowl of water, massaging them briefly with your fingers to dislodge any dirt stuck in the layers. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the chicken thighs by scattering on salt and freshly cracked black pepper. In a frying pan large enough to fit all the chicken in a single layer, warm the olive oil over a medium-high heat. Place the chicken in the pan, skin-side down. Fry for about 5 mins, until the skin is golden. Carefully flip the chicken over and fry the other side for about 4 mins, until it browns. Increase the heat, pour in the wine and allow it to partially evaporate for a few minutes. Leaving the juices in the pan, lift out the chicken pieces and transfer to a large baking dish.
- Reduce the hob heat to medium. Add the leek slices, garlic and butter to the pan. Stir in the mustard and thyme, then pour in the stock and season with salt and pepper. Braise the leek, uncovered, for about 15 mins, stirring every now and then.
- Pour the saucy leeks over and around the chicken. Cover with a lid or foil. Transfer to the oven and bake for 45 mins. Remove the lid or foil and bake for a further 20 mins, or until the chicken is nicely roasted and cooked through.
- Allow the dish to rest for a few minutes before serving with a squeeze of lemon juice.
Taken from At Nonna’s Table by Paola Bacchia, published by Smith Street Books at £26. Photography by Paola Bacchia. To buy from The Week Bookshop for £20.99 (incl. p&p), call 020-3176 3835 or visit theweekbookshop.co.uk.
Sign up for The Week's Food & Drink newsletter for recipes, reviews and recommendations.
-
Has Putin launched the second nuclear arms race?In Depth Historian Serhii Plokhy explains why the Kremlin’s nuclear proliferation has begun a dangerous new era of mutually assured destruction
-
Femicide: Italy’s newest crimeThe Explainer Landmark law to criminalise murder of a woman as an ‘act of hatred’ or ‘subjugation’ but critics say Italy is still deeply patriarchal
-
Quiz of The Week: 22 – 28 NovemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
We Did OK, Kid: Anthony Hopkins’ candid memoir is a ‘page-turner’The Week Recommends The 87-year-old recounts his journey from ‘hopeless’ student to Oscar-winning actor
-
The Mushroom Tapes: a compelling deep dive into the trial that gripped AustraliaThe Week Recommends Acclaimed authors team up for a ‘sensitive and insightful’ examination of what led a seemingly ordinary woman to poison four people
-
10 concert tours to see this winterThe Week Recommends Keep cozy this winter with a series of concerts from big-name artists
-
6 gripping museum exhibitions to view this winterThe Week Recommends Discover the real Grandma Moses and Frida Kahlo
-
Pull over for these one-of-a-kind gas stationsThe Week Recommends Fill ’er up next to highland cows and a giant soda bottle
-
‘Chess’feature Imperial Theatre, New York City
-
The 8 best sci-fi series of all timethe week recommends Imagining — and fearing — the future continues to give us compelling and thoughtful television
-
‘Notes on Being a Man’ by Scott Galloway and ‘Bread of Angels: A Memoir’ by Patti Smithfeature A self-help guide for lonely young men and a new memoir from the godmother of punk
