Creamy Rosemary-Mustard Chicken

I spent this past weekend in Bloomington, Indiana – visiting my college going daughter. My daughter is a soprano opera singer, studying at the Jacob’s School of Music.  This past Sunday we had dinner at a small restaurant in Bloomington with her voice teacher and his wife. The restaurant is attached to a well-known bed-and-breakfast that I have stayed at many times and even though I have tried to get dinner reservations at their restaurant during my past visits, I had never actually managed to get in. My husband and I had a lunch there one time and that was very good but the place is known for its dinner service and I had long wanted to get there for that. Fortunately, this past Sunday they had a table free for us. And definitely, this was a real treat for all of us – the food was amazing! We shared a mushroom flat-bread appetizer, which was excellent and then I had a Lemon Thyme Chicken on a bed of squash risotto that was absolutely magnificent!  The chicken was succulent and cooked to perfection.  So when I came back I wanted to try to replicate the chicken for my husband (who had not been able to accompany me for this trip).  More than the taste of the chicken, I wanted to replicate the texture of that chicken – so I made a creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce with was spiked with a good dose of Rosemary.  I served it with some grilled asparagus and a bed of chicken couscous. This combination worked out well – made complete with a glass of wine to go with it!

Ingredients:

1.    7-8 Chicken thighs (I used thighs with skin on but you could use the skin-off thighs as well)
2.    2 teaspoons of Curry powder
3.    2 teaspoons of Paprika
4.    Salt to taste
5.    3 tablespoons of Dijon Mustard
6.    3 tablespoons of half and half
7.    2 tablespoons of Labneh or Greek yogurt
8.    2 tablespoons of honey
9.    2-3 teaspoons of dry Rosemary or a sprig of fresh Rosemary
10.    2 tablespoons of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
11.    The zest of one lemon
12.    ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes
13.    2 tablespoons of chicken stock

Directions:

1.    Evenly sprinkle curry powder, paprika, salt and red pepper flakes on both sides of all the chicken pieces.
2.    Drizzle olive oil on both sides of the chicken thighs and using a basting brush spread the oil and spices/seasonings evenly on the surface of the chicken pieces.
3.    Heat a cast iron griddle (or a skillet) on medium heat and place the chicken pieces on the griddle.

4.    Cook both sides of the chicken pieces on the griddle for about 4-5 minutes on each side.
5.    While the chicken is getting grilled in the skillet, pre-heat the oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

6.    In an oven-safe dish, mix the following ingredients – zest of one lemon, Dijon Mustard, half of the rosemary, honey, half and half and chicken stock to make a sauce at the bottom of the dish.

7.    Place the chicken pieces in this dish and using a spoon, cover both sides of the chicken with the sauce at the bottom of the pan.
8.    Place the dish in the oven for 15 minutes.

9.    After 15 minutes, take the dish out and using a pair of tongs, flip over the chicken pieces. Sprinkle the remaining amount of rosemary on the top side of the chicken pieces (after you have flipped them).

10.    Place the dish back in the oven for another 10-12 minutes.
11.    Take the dish out of the oven and drain the sauce collected at the bottom of the oven-safe dish to a small sauce pan and heat it on low heat.

12.    Add the Greek yogurt or Labneh to the sauce and stir it thoroughly to create a thick sauce.
13.    Serve the chicken pieces while they are still hot and drizzle the sauce over them. Enjoy!!!!
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