Chicken thighs in a mustard, tarragon and grape pan sauce

Chicken thighs in a mustard, tarragon and grape pan sauce

The sauce for this easy chicken thighs recipe is inspired by the classic French dish sole veronique, in which the delicate fish is baked in a vermouth-based cream sauce with tarragon and grapes. This is a dish that’s simple to cook but still gives off cheffy bistro vibes when brought to the table. All it needs is steamed green veg, with roast potatoes or rice on the side.

Chicken thighs in a mustard, tarragon and grape pan sauce

Using a stainless steel frying pan is key to help brown the chicken and make the star sauce, using all that delicious fond from the bottom of the pan for buckets of flavour. Unfamiliar with fond? Find out more about why those little brown bits that adhere to the base of the pan after you’ve fried something are so valuable…

  • Serves icon Serves 3-4
  • Time icon Hands-on time 25 min. Oven time 10-15 min

The sauce for this easy chicken thighs recipe is inspired by the classic French dish sole veronique, in which the delicate fish is baked in a vermouth-based cream sauce with tarragon and grapes. This is a dish that’s simple to cook but still gives off cheffy bistro vibes when brought to the table. All it needs is steamed green veg, with roast potatoes or rice on the side.

Using a stainless steel frying pan is key to help brown the chicken and make the star sauce, using all that delicious fond from the bottom of the pan for buckets of flavour. Unfamiliar with fond? Find out more about why those little brown bits that adhere to the base of the pan after you’ve fried something are so valuable…

Nutrition: Per serving (for 4)

Calories
403kcals
Fat
17g (7.8g saturated)
Protein
52g
Carbohydrates
5.5g (5.5g sugars)
Fibre
0.8g
Salt
1g

Before you start

  • 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

Before you start

  • 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

Ingredients

  1. Heat the oven to 180°C fan/gas 6. Put a large stainless steel frying pan over a medium-high heat and wait a few minutes for it to heat up (see our guide to cooking with stainless steel). Season the chicken with salt then, when the pan is hot, add a dash of oil, swirl it and put the thighs in, skin-side down. Cook until the skin is very crisp and golden; don’t be tempted to move the thighs before this happens, but if some parts are taking longer to brown than others you can press down on the thighs with a spatula.
  2. Once the skin is crisp, the thighs should easily release from the pan; lift them out onto a baking dish (skin-side up), then finish cooking them in the oven for 10-15 minutes (depending on the size of the thighs).
  3. Put the pan (without cleaning it) over a medium heat with the butter, shallot and garlic, then gently cook for 3-5 minutes until softened but not coloured. Deglaze the pan: add the white wine, then immediately start scraping up the stuck-on brown bits with a wooden spoon.
  4. Let the wine simmer and reduce by half (about 3 minutes), then add the mustard and stock and reduce by half again (about 5 minutes). Add the cream and reduce by half again, or until you’re happy with the consistency of the sauce. Add the halved grapes to warm through, taste and season with salt, then stir in the chopped tarragon. Nestle the cooked chicken thighs back into the sauce, then serve.
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Nutrition

Nutrition: per serving
Calories
403kcals
Fat
17g (7.8g saturated)
Protein
52g
Carbohydrates
5.5g (5.5g sugars)
Fibre
0.8g
Salt
1g

Stainless steel pans are ideal for searing and browning ingredients, producing delicious caramelised flavours that are the key to making incredible pan sauces. The tri-ply technology in ProCook’s pan sandwiches a core of heat-conducting aluminium between two layers of stainless steel, providing a durable cooking material that’s quick to heat up.

£79 | Buy now See all at ProCook

Price correct June 2024

Buy ingredients online

Recipe By:

Pollyanna Coupland
Food producer, delicious.

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