Crispy Mustard Chicken with Spring Potato Salad

 

It is Spring now and we are wanting to eat a bit lighter.  Not that the outside temperatures are shouting Spring at the moment. Today it is a very cool +2*C/+35.6*F and there is a very strong wind blowing. I was out with my sister earlier and it was positively perishing.

I adapted this recipe I am sharing with you today from a cooking magazine I have had for a while, called Quick & Simple Cooking for Two, from Hearst Magazines.  It was published in 2022, and has 91 perfectly portioned recipes.  Sorry to say this is the first recipe that I have cooked from it.

 

I tend to look through these magazines and then file them in a bookcase that is in the walk in closet in my bedroom. I often forget they are there. I have promised myself that I am going to make an effort to use them more often and so this morning I grabbed this one and picked a few things I wanted to make from it.

There was this one and another one. I couldn't find the ingredients for the other one and so ended up making this.   I love chicken thighs and I love potato salad.  I was not disappointed.

I was intrigued by the method used to cook the chicken. Bone in, skin on, chicken thighs are opened out, brushed on the underside with some Dijon mustard and cooked, skin side down in a skillet beneath the weight of a heavier skillet placed on top.  You can put a brick or some large cans in the top skillet to weigh it down even more.

This results in a lovely crisp skin.  Believe it or not the chicken cooks through perfectly in about 15 minutes, tops.

While it is cooking you make a simple potato salad, which has the most delicious  herbed vinaigrette dressing.  You can see a close-up of it below. Trust me when I tell you that it is fabulously tasty. I do so love a vinaigrette dressed potato salad, don't you?

The recipe is sized for two, but can very easily be doubled or even tripled to serve more people.  The combination of the simple fresh flavors of the salad, along with that crispy skinned chicken was for lack of a better word, amazing!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE CRISPY MUSTARD CHICKEN WITH SPRING POTATO SALAD

Just a few simple ingredients. You can also adapt the herbs  somewhat to what you have on hand. Just buy the best that you can afford and all will be well.

• 3/4 pound (12 ounces/340g) yellow new potatoes (about a dozen)
• fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 medium, bone in, skin on, chicken thighs
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBS white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1 spring onion, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 small radishes, trimmed and finely sliced
• 2 TBS fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

 

I bought potatoes by the Little Potato Company. You can get them in small bags, which are just the perfect size for a person living on their own or a small family.  They come in red, yellow and  mixed. Today I used yellow.

My herbs were all fresh. The spring onion, dill and parsley. You could use tarragon if you don't have any dill.  Or Chervil. Those three can be used interchangeably and go together well with the other ingredients.

Prepared horseradish is simply fresh horseradish which has been grated and mixed with vinegar, salt and some sugar. It is not the creamed horseradish which is something else entirely.  The two are not interchangeable in this recipe. Do use if it you can get it as it does add a lovely flavor and warmth to the salad.

 

I used air chilled bone in, skin on, chicken thighs.  They were each about the size of my fist, so not small.  I opened them out as much as I could before placing them into the skillet and spreading them with the mustard.  I did season them after cooking.

I use Maille Dijon mustard, which is a French one. Try to use French if you can get it. It has a nicer flavor than any North American variety, or at least the ones which I have tried. In any case, use a good one.

You can leave the radishes out if you wish, but they do add some color and, again, a bit more heat.

This is one instance where I would use extra virgin olive oil.  The flavor will matter in something like a salad.  I also used a good quality white wine vinegar.

 

HOW TO MAKE CRISPY MUSTARD CHICKEN WITH SPRING POTATO SALAD

This is probably one of the easiest recipes I have cooked as of late, and you all know how much I like easy!

Scrub your potatoes and then put them into a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, add 1/2 tsp salt and then reduce the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender.

Drain well. Rinse under cold running water to cool off and then drain again.

 

While the potatoes are boiling, place the chicken into a cold, large, heavy bottomed skillet, skin side down. Brush the underside with the mustard, dividing it equally amongst the two pieces of chicken. Place a piece of aluminum foil on top.

Place another skillet on top of the chicken and then weigh it down with 4 or 5 heavy cans.

Cook the chicken over medium heat until the skin is nicely browned. This will take about 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove the cans, the top skillet and the foil. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook, uncovered, until cooked through. This will take another 2 to 3 minutes more.

While the chicken is cooking, whisk the oil and vinegar together in a bowl with the horseradish. Stir in the spring onions and dill.

Halve or quarter the potatoes, depending on their size. Place them into the bowl. Toss together with the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired. Fold in the radishes and parsley and serve along with the cooked chicken.

I was really pleased with the ease of prep for this recipe. It went together effortlessly and was cooked and ready to eat in no time at all. Less than half an hour,  tops!

It was delicious. The skin on the chicken was extra crispy and golden brown, the meat tender and juicy, and the potato salad had the perfect balance of flavors.  I quite enjoyed this and would make again!

If you enjoy simple chicken dinners that don't take a lot of effort or time and that are perfectly sized for two people, you might also enjoy the following:

CREAMY GARLIC CHICKEN -  Juicy and tender, flavor filled chicken breasts, nicely browned, cooked and served with a fabulously tasty creamy garlic gravy.  Simple ingredients put together in the most delicious way. This goes really well with fluffy mashed potatoes.

PARMESAN CHICKEN BAKE - Three simple ingredients and some seasoning, put together simply and baked to perfection. The chicken is tender and juicy, and filled with flavor. Some extra cheese is sprinkled on top to give added crunch. This goes together and cooks quickly.  All you need on the side is a few vegetables and perhaps some potatoes or rice.

Yield: 2

Author: Marie Rayner

Crispy Mustard Chicken with Spring Potato Salad

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 15 MinTotal time: 25 Min

A quick and easy dinner for two with succulent, tender chicken, crispy skinned and flavored with Dijon mustard, served with a tasty herby vinaigrette potato salad on the side. Quick, easy, delicious. You can have this on the table in less than half an hour.

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound (12 ounces/340g) yellow new potatoes (about a dozen)
• fine sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 2 medium, bone in, skin on, chicken thighs
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 TBS extra virgin olive oil
• 1 TBS white wine vinegar
• 2 tsp prepared horseradish
• 1 spring onion, trimmed, washed and finely chopped
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh dill
• 2 small radishes, trimmed and finely sliced
• 2 TBS fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions

1. Scrub your potatoes and then put them into a saucepan. Cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, add 1/2 tsp salt and then reduce the heat and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes, until tender.
2. Drain well. Rinse under cold running water to cool off and then drain again.
3. While the potatoes are boiling, place the chicken into a cold, large, heavy bottomed skillet, skin side down. Brush the underside with the mustard, dividing it equally amongst the two pieces of chicken. Place a piece of aluminum foil on top.
4. Place another skillet on top of the chicken and then weigh it down with 4 or 5 heavy cans.
5. Cook the chicken over medium heat until the skin is nicely browned. This will take about 10 to 12 minutes.
6. Remove the cans, the top skillet and the foil. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook, uncovered, until cooked through. This will take another 2 to 3 minutes more.
7. While the chicken is cooking, whisk the oil and vinegar together in a bowl with the horseradish. Stir in the spring onions and dill.
8. Halve or quarter the potatoes, depending on their size. Place them into the bowl. Toss together with the vinaigrette. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper as desired.
9. Fold in the radishes and parsley and serve along with the cooked chicken.

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