Braised Chicken in Mustard with Garlic and Mascarpone

- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 chicken leg-thigh quarters
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 ounces sliced pancetta, cut into ¼-inch pieces
- 12 garlic cloves, peeled
- 12 shallots, peeled
- ¼ cup white wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 2 cups Chicken Stock or 4 cups high quality canned low-sodium chicken broth, reduced to 2 cups
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- ½ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Instructions:
This dish definitely falls into the category of braises that improve with a day of sitting, so make it a day ahead if you can.
- To make the marinade, heat the vegetable oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Transfer the shallots and garlic to a larger bowl.
- Whisk the cooked shallots and garlic, Dijon mustard, thyme, cracked pepper, and bay leaves together in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss it about so all of the surfaces come in contact with the marinade. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (it can be left overnight, if that’s more convenient), turning the chicken once or twice.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Remove the chicken from the bowl, reserving the marinade, and season all over with salt and pepper. Sear the chicken on both sides until brown. Transfer to a plate. Add the pancetta to the pan and cook just until the fat starts to melt but the pancetta is not yet crispy, about a minute. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the whole garlic cloves and shallots to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Sauté until lightly browned. Pour off the fat. Add the vinegar to the pan. The vinegar will foam up and reduce almost instantly; scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to dissolve any crispy bits. Continue stirring as the vinegar quickly reduces to a glaze, about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste and cook 1 minute, then add the reserved marinade and the chicken stock. Bring to a boil.
- Return the chicken pieces to the pan. Stir in the pancetta, thyme, and red pepper flakes. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the chicken is tender, but not falling off the bone, 40 to 45 minutes. Turn the chicken every 10 minutes so the exposed side doesn’t dry out.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and keep warm. Cook the sauce, uncovered, until it thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. To finish the sauce, remove the pan from the heat and add the mascarpone, whisking until smooth.
- Place a chicken quarter on each of four warmed plates, top with the sauce, and serve immediately.