Despite having a shelf full of cookbooks and an internet overflowing with recipes, I get into food ruts. Does that ever happen to you? Do you ever feel uninspired or overwhelmed when deciding what’s for dinner? Day in and day out, the responsibility to keep mealtime fresh and interesting…it’s enough to make me want to hang up my apron and have cereal for dinner.
It almost makes me envious of the folks who have a certain number of recipes in their arsenal that they constantly cycle through. How much easier would my meal planning be if every Wednesday was meatloaf? Or if spaghetti was on our plate once a week without fail?
I guess the grass is always greener elsewhere. Have only a few options to choose from and risk getting burnt out on them. Have seemingly limitless options vis a vis The Google and burn yourself out searching before you even get in the kitchen.
Where’s the middle ground? I don’t know. I’m still searching for it. If you happen to run across it, would you point me in the general direction? All I can offer you in exchange is Honey Dijon Chicken. But believe me, that’s a fair trade.
Honey Dijon Chicken
Adapted from Our Life In The Kitchen
BAH Note: If you want your sauce a little thicker, use my buerre maine trick. Combine 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon softened butter in a small bowl until you have a smooth paste. Use a whisk to stir the buerre maine into the hot sauce and cook until the sauce thickens a bit. I mix the honey and mustard together in a measuring cup so that any that I don’t add to the sauce can be put in jar and refrigerated for later use.
- 6 to 8 bone in chicken thighs, depending on the size of your pan
- 2 shallots
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 1 can chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup honey
- 1/4 cup half and half (optional)
Melt the butter in a large frying pan or dutch oven over medium high heat. When the foaming subsides, place the chicken skin side up in the pan. Cook until the chicken gets well browned.
While the chicken is browning, slice the shallots and combine the honey and mustard in a measuring cup.
Once the underside of the chicken is browned, carefully turn the chicken over so it is skin side down in the pan. Add the shallots and cook until the skin begins to brown. Add the chicken broth and simmer approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil. Skim the fat from the juices in the pan and cook over medium heat until the sauce is reduced by about half. Reduce the heat and whisk half of the the honey mustard mixture into the sauce. Taste the sauce, if you want a stronger flavor, add more of the honey mustard. Season to taste with kosher salt and stir in either half and half or a buerre maine mixture, if using.
Return the chicken to the pan and coat the chicken with sauce before serving.
Bon Appetit Hon 