Chicken with a French twist

Chicken always makes for a nice holiday meal. For a special treat, however, try out these French kosher chicken entrees.

CHICKEN DIJON
(8 servings)

1/4 cup water or vegetable oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp dry Italian seasoning
8 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
lemon slices or fresh herbs

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. In a plastic bag, combine mustard, water or oil, garlic powder and Italian seasoning. Add chicken and shake to coat.
3. Place chicken in a baking pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until done.
4. Garnish with lemon slices and fresh herbs.

CHICKEN LEGS COQ AU VIN
(I’ve adapted slightly Chef Eric Ripert’s recipe that was in Food & Wine. It makes 8 servings.)

16 chicken drumsticks
salt and pepper
6 tbsp flour
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup finely chopped carrots
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
3 cups chopped mushrooms
4 thinly sliced garlic cloves
1 cup brandy
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 bottle dry red wine
2 cups chicken stock
4 thyme sprigs

1. Heat oil in a large pot.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and dust with 1/4 cup flour. Add chicken to pot and cook over high heat five minutes. Remove to a plate.
3. Add carrots, onions, celery, mushrooms and garlic and cook five minutes.
4. Add brandy and cook one minute. Stir in tomato paste and two tablespoons flour. Add wine, chicken stock and thyme and bring to a boil.
5. Return chicken to pot, cover and simmer 1.5 hours. Remove chicken.
6. Simmer sauce until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Discard thyme. Return chicken to sauce and heat.

CHARDONNAY-BRAISED CHICKEN THIGHS
(I’ve made a few changes to cookbook author Grace Parisi’s recipe that was in Food & Wine. It makes 8 servings.)

4 tbsp unsalted margarine
4 tbsp olive oil
16 chicken thighs
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup flour
8 peeled, quartered shallots
2 pounds parsley root or parsnips, cut into 3-by-0.5-inch pieces
2 rosemary sprigs
2 cups Chardonnay or dry white wine
3 cups chicken soup

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Melt margarine in a large frying pan with oil.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. Add to frying pan, skin side down and cook until brown, about six minutes. Place on a plate.
3. Add shallots, parsley root or parsnips and rosemary and cook one minute.
4. Add wine and cook three minutes or until reduced by half.
5. Add chicken soup and bring to a boil.
6. Place chicken skin side up in frying pan and place in oven. Braise 25 minutes or until cooked through.
7. Broil chicken for three minutes. Return to stove and boil until sauce is thickened, about three minutes. Discard rosemary. Transfer to bowls and serve.

Sybil Kaplan is a Jerusalem-based journalist and author. She has edited/compiled nine kosher cookbooks and is a food writer for North American Jewish publications.