Serves: 4–5
Ingredients
Chicken
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1½ teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1 teaspoon Morton kosher salt)
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Sauce
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
1–2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves (or ½ teaspoon dried thyme)
⅓ cup Chardonnay
1½ cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To Serve
Steamed broccolini
1 warm baguette and room temperature butter
Instructions
1. Dry-Brine the Chicken (Highly Recommended)
At least 2 hours before cooking (or up to overnight), sprinkle the chicken evenly with the kosher salt.
Refrigerate uncovered.
About 20–30 minutes before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator. Pat dry with paper towels and season lightly with black pepper.
If the breasts are uneven in thickness, pound them gently to approximately ¾-inch thick.
2. Sear the Chicken
Heat a 3½- to 5-quart Le Creuset braiser over medium heat.
Add the olive oil and butter.
When the butter has stopped foaming, add the chicken.
Cook without moving for 4–5 minutes, until the first side is a deep golden brown.
Flip and cook the second side for only 30–60 seconds.
The chicken should still be undercooked in the center.
Transfer to a plate and tent loosely with foil.
3. Make the Sauce
Reduce the heat to medium-low.
Add the onions to the braiser.
Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly caramelized.
Add:
Dijon mustard
Whole-grain mustard
Thyme
Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Pour in the Chardonnay and scrape up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
Simmer until the wine has reduced by about half, about 2–3 minutes.
Stir in the heavy cream.
Bring to a very gentle simmer—just a few lazy bubbles.
Taste and season with pepper and a small amount of salt only if needed.
4. Finish the Chicken
Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the braiser, nestling the pieces into the sauce.
The sauce should come about halfway up the sides of the chicken.
Cover with the lid.
Reduce the heat to its lowest setting so the sauce barely simmers.
Cook until the thickest piece reaches 155–158°F, approximately 5–8 minutes.
Turn off the burner.
Leave the lid on for 5 minutes. The residual heat from the sauce and the cast-iron braiser will gently bring the chicken to a safe final temperature while helping it stay juicy.
5. Finish the Sauce
Stir in:
Lemon juice
Fresh parsley
Taste one final time and adjust the seasoning if needed.
Serve directly from the braiser.
Chef's Notes
For the Best Chicken
A dry brine of 6–12 hours produces the juiciest chicken.
Don't let the sauce boil after adding the cream.
Use an instant-read thermometer rather than cooking by time.
Because cast iron retains heat exceptionally well, trust the thermometer and carryover cooking rather than trying to reach 165°F while the pan is still on the burner.
If You Want Even More Sauce
Increase the sauce ingredients to:
½ cup Chardonnay
2 cups heavy cream
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
The cooking method remains exactly the same, and you'll have plenty of sauce for mashed potatoes, buttered noodles, rice, or crusty bread.
One Optional Upgrade
If you really enjoy a restaurant-quality pan sauce, whisk 1 tablespoon of cold unsalted butter into the sauce after stirring in the parsley and lemon juice. This classic French technique, called monter au beurre, gives the sauce an even silkier texture and a beautiful glossy finish without making it taste buttery. It's a small touch, but it makes the finished dish feel especially elegant.
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