Bistro Braised Chicken

Yum! This was really good. D said it was easy to make. D thought it would be better with rice, to soak up the sauce. I thought it tasted like a Chicken Noodle Soup and he thought it tasted like stuffing without the stuffing. We will have again.

We had with broccoli.

D noted about CL recipes in general, he always puts butter in the sauce at the end. He says it makes the sauce taste richer.

Bistro Braised Chicken

1 tablespoon butter, divided
8 (4-ounce) bone-in chicken thighs, skinned
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup thinly sliced celery
8 pitted dried plums, chopped (didn't use)
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried sage
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
4 cups hot cooked egg noodles

1. Melt 1 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 6 minutes, browning on both sides. Remove chicken from pan; keep warm.

2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons butter to pan; swirl until butter melts. Add carrot, onion, celery, and dried plums; cook 4 minutes or until vegetables begin to soften, stirring frequently. Stir in thyme and sage; cook 30 seconds. Stir in mustard. Add broth and 3/4 cup water, scraping pan to loosen browned bits; bring to a simmer.

3. Return chicken to pan. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer for 35 minutes. Uncover, increase heat to medium-high, and simmer until sauce is reduced by half (about 10 minutes). Stir in salt and pepper. Serve over noodles.

Wine note: This simple dinner deserves a tasty, affordable wine. Astica Chardonnay 2008 ($6), from Argentina, is made without the use of oak, making it a nice, fruity match for the dried plums in this stew. --Jeffery Lindenmuth

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 cup egg noodles, 2 chicken thighs, and about 1/2 cup vegetable mixture)

CALORIES 483 ; FAT 11.5g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.8g); CHOLESTEROL 189mg; CALCIUM 76mg; CARBOHYDRATE 57.3g; SODIUM 765mg; PROTEIN 36.9g; FIBER 5g; IRON 3.7mg

Cooking Light, NOVEMBER 2009