CHICKEN THIGHS WITH CREAMY MUSTARD SAUCE

Serves: 4

■ 8 medium bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 1/4 lb, or 1 kg)

■ Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

■ Good olive oil

■ 2 cups (500 mL) halved and thinly sliced yellow onion (2 onions)

■ 2 tbsp (30 mL) dry white wine

■ 8 oz (226 g) crème fraîche

■ 1 tbsp (15 mL) good Dijon mustard

■ 1 tsp (5 mL) whole-grain mustard

■ 1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh parsley

1. Place the chicken thighs on a cutting board, skin side up and pat them dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the chicken with 1 1/2 tsp salt (7.5 mL) and 3/4 tsp (4 mL) pepper. Turn them over and sprinkle them with one more teaspoon (5 mL) of salt.

2. Heat 1 tbsp (15 mL) olive oil in a large (11-12-inch, or 28-30-cm) cast-iron skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the pan in one layer, skin side down.

3. Cook over medium heat for 15 minutes without moving until the skin is golden brown. (If the skin gets too dark, turn the heat to medium low.)

4. Turn the chicken pieces over with tongs, add the onions to the pan, including under the chicken, and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring the onions occasionally, until the thighs are cooked to 155 to 160 F (68 to 70 C) and the onions are browned.

5. Transfer the chicken (not the onions) to a plate and allow to rest uncovered while you make the sauce. If the onions aren’t browned, cook them for another minute.

6. Add the wine, crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard and 1 tsp (5 mL) salt to the skillet and stir over medium heat for one minute.

7. Return the chicken, skin side up, and the juices to the skillet, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Pro tip: To ensure the chicken cooks evenly, choose thighs that are similar in size.