Bistro Braised Chicken

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

Ingredients

• 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
• 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

Preparation

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

Nutritional Information

Calories:

483

Fat:

11.5g (sat 4.3g,mono 3.9g,poly 1.8g)

Protein:

36.9g

Carbohydrate:

57.3g

Fiber:

5g

Cholesterol:

189mg

Iron:

3.7mg

Sodium:

765mg

Calcium:

76mg