Poulet a la Moutarde
Chicken in mustard cream sauce
Ingredients
- 1200 g Chicken pieces (legs + thighs)
- 3 Shallot
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 200 ml White wine
- 200 ml Chicken stock
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Whole-grain mustard
- 200 ml Heavy cream
- 30 g Butter
- 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 3 sprigs Thyme (optional)
- 2 sprigs Tarragon (optional)
- 2 tbsp Parsley (optional)
Method
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat butter and oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high. Brown the chicken skin-side down 6 minutes, then 4 minutes other side. Lift to a plate.
- While the chicken browns, mince the shallots and garlic.
- Pour off all but a thin film of fat. Sweat the shallots 4 minutes over medium. Add garlic and thyme. Cook 1 minute.
- Pour in the wine. Scrape up the fond (the flavourful browned bits). Reduce by two-thirds, 4 minutes.
- Add the stock and Dijon (NOT the wholegrain yet — it goes in at the end). Whisk smooth. Return chicken skin-up to nest in the sauce.
- Cover and braise on low 20 minutes until the chicken is 75 °C (165 °F) internal.
- While the chicken braises, pick the tarragon leaves from the stems and chop the parsley (if using).
- Lift chicken to a warm plate. Stir cream into the sauce. Reduce 3 minutes uncovered until silky.
- Off heat, whisk in the wholegrain mustard and the tarragon. Taste for salt.
- Return chicken to the sauce. Scatter parsley. Serve with rice, potatoes, or noodles.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Poulet a la Moutarde
Poulet a la moutarde is a bistro classic from the Lyonnaise tradition — chicken pieces browned and then braised in a sauce built on Dijon, cream, and white wine. Lyon sits near the mustard heartland of Burgundy, and this is comfort food that shows it off, pairing the sharp, peppery kick of mustard with the mellowing richness of cream. Legs and thighs are used rather than lean breast because they stay juicy through the braise and their skin renders down to flavor the sauce.
The method carries a couple of details that reward the cook: the fond, those browned bits left in the pan after searing, is deglazed with wine and reduced to concentrate the flavor before the mustard goes in, and the whole-grain mustard is deliberately held back until the end so its seeds keep their texture and pop rather than dissolving into the sauce. The result is glossy and savory, with a background heat from the Dijon and a pleasant grainy bite from the finishing mustard. It's low on carbs and high on richness, and it's usually served with rice, potatoes, or bread to catch every bit of the sauce — the kind of unfussy French dinner that feels far more impressive than the effort it takes.
Poulet a la Moutarde: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Poulet a la Moutarde?
A serving has about 817 calories — 43g protein, 11.5g carbs, 62.7g fat, 1.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 43g of protein, roughly 21% of its calories.
Is Poulet a la Moutarde gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Poulet a la Moutarde has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
Is Poulet a la Moutarde dairy-free?
Not as written — it uses Heavy cream, Butter. Swapping those for a plant-based alternative makes it dairy-free.
How long does Poulet a la Moutarde take to make?
About 50 minutes start to finish, but only around 33 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Poulet a la Moutarde?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out thyme, tarragon, parsley — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Poulet a la Moutarde make?
This recipe makes 5 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.