While we’ve been in the UK we’ve missed eating our own home reared chicken, but we have 2 fantastic butchers nearby and are able to buy organic chicken and eggs too. A luxury, but I’d rather eat meat less often and enjoy good quality, properly reared meat that hasn’t been pumped full of chemicals. I often buy a whole chicken which gives me more options…roast, soup, portions to freeze and eat later.
I had been saving our favourite part of the chicken which is the thigh. I much prefer dark meat and when it’s cooked with the bone and skin, the flavour is better. In my humble opinion at least! Big Man is happy to eat chicken simply grilled or roasted, I enjoy extra flavours or sauces, so this was a dish to keep us both happy as I cooked the chicken in the base for the sauce, then served it on the side when the dish was complete. Having said that, I think he ate his share!
Ingredients (to serve 4)
- 8 chicken thighs (or your favourite joints)
- 2 glasses of white wine (plus one for the chef). Use chicken stock or water if you don’t cook with alcohol
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- 1 – 2 heaped teaspoons of English Mustard (according to taste)
- 2 cloves of crushed garlic
- Salt & Pepper
- 1 level teaspoon of cornflour
Season the chicken with salt and pepper and put into a deep baking tin. Mix together all the other ingredients (except the cornflour) and pour over the chicken. If you have time, leave it for an hour or so before cooking, turning the meat in it once.
Cook at about 200 degrees (Gas 6 approx) for around 45 minutes, basting and turning the meat once or twice. Check that it’s cooked by piercing a thigh with a sharp knife to see that the juices run clear.
Drain the sauce off into a small pan and keep the chicken in a low oven while you finish the sauce. Add the cornflour to a few tablespoons of cold water, mix well and stir into the sauce. Heat gently until it thickens to your liking and serve with the chicken.
I made double the quantity and used the leftover chicken which I stir fried with courgette, bacon and mushrooms, then added the rest of the sauce and a little cream and served with pasta. Waste not, want not!
Chica Andaluza 
Nice! We like the thighs also.
Best bit! Well…the parson’s nose too!
How wonderful to have a great butcher nearby. We prefer cooking with the thigh too. Your second recipe sounds as good as the first…two fantastic dinners!
We are indeed very lucky and I think there are a few thigh fans out there!
First in liking and first in commenting ……!
I agree with you , on buying quality meat or no meat at all !
As for the recipe in your post , honey and mustard appeal a lot , but in what doesEnglish mustard differ from other mustards?
Thank you for the share , a hug!
Good question about the mustard! English mustard is a yellow mustard (like the American mustard) but hot! Here’s a link, hope it explains 🙂 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colman%27s Un abraccio
Grazie infinite!
Love plus one glass for the chef. 🙂 And same here on the meat. We cut our meat portions quite a bit and try to get the most organic. We actually spend less on meat overall now.
We don’t spend as much either and appreciate what we buy and eat. And of course one for the chef…it’s the law in our house, no cooking without a glass of wine in your hand 🙂
That is a very good law to have! 🙂
Really lovely simple dish. Would work well with rabbit as well.
Ooh yes…when we get back to Spain (soon, soon!) I’ll be making that.
I totally agree about having less meat but better quality. I’m lucky to have some great butchers nearby and some excellent local meat. It has so much flavour that you use less too…making it better value than supermarket meat. I often freeze chicken carcasses and throw them all together to make a big batch of stock or soup.
You really do notice the difference…bacon that doesn’t ooze white slime, chickens that don’t shrink and actually taste of chicken and moist, flavoursome beef and lamb. Right, am off to watch GBSB and see who won (thanks for posting it!).
This is why I adore your blog :). I love the ethos you two share and it’s good to see that your leftovers do the rounds like ours do. Steve got 2 meals out of his “from scratch” chicken curry and the rest is about to be turned into curry puffs and served with salad. If we can’t eat it the chooks will…if the chooks can’t eat it the compost will…if the compost won’t eat it the possums, rabbits, wallabies and paddy melons will! No waste here folks! 😉
Oh it’s the same for us especially in Spain. Leftovers get called tapas, the chickies or dogs enjoy anything else, finally the compost and recycling…mind you, I’m the same with most things. If I can’t eat it I start to think…can I sew, knit or crochet with it or turn it into something useful for the house?! Love the sound of curry puffs…don’t know what they are but love the name 🙂
Delicious leftover from scratch curry tucked inside some home made butter shortcrust and baked like little pasties…you can do them in puff as well but Steve prefers butter shortcrust as it just tastes better 🙂 Make them teeny and serve them with some great homemade chutney and you have gorgeousness on a stick 🙂
Fabulous…love butter shortcrust. And I could STILL call them tapas in Spain if I made little wee ones 😉
You certainly could and if you make a really good curry with lots of spices they are magnificent! Forget leftovers…I would make curry just to have it for these! 🙂
Problem is, when I make curry if there are leftovers (rarely unless I make a ton) I love it cold for breakfast. I’m disgusting but don’t tell anyone 😉
You would have LOVED this one…unctuous to a tee, lots of big chook bits and large chunks of rich creamy curry covered spuds…heaven on a cold curry stick 🙂
Sounds like you could work on marketing curry flavoured ice lollies for the summer!
No, Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall would sue me! I am sure he did an episode of River Cottage about something similar! 😉
Think you’re right there 🙂
I too like chicken with more layers of flavor. I love the honey mustard combo and your stir fry is a wonderful way to make a meal from leftovers. 2 meals out of one is something I aim for often, less cooking time and no waste
I agree, most things I cook also have a plan B for another night!
That looks delicious! Mr. Coleman has joined in with my dinner tonight too – pig cheeks 😉
Ooh pig cheeks are soooo good. Mr Coleman was here too – I made what we call “cocimiento” basically boiled ham (or smoked gammon here) with veg…mmmm 🙂
Oh, that’s a double winner!
I’m with you on the thighs – and bones and skin!
So many of us here seem to like thighs best 🙂
Have been quite amused to see how chicken thighs have grown in popularity here over the last decade as ‘snobby’ cooks always ‘only’ used the breast before 🙂 ! Now it is the breast which is oft on special! Love the recipe and oft cook double myself: also lovely on pita bread with hommus and salad afterwards!
Have never been a breast fan but when you buy a chicken it has to be used…at least you can get creative stuffing chicken breast, filleting it, doing it in breadcrumbs but you’re right, the thighs do seem to be more appreciated now. Love cold chicken sandwiches!
Such a simple dish, Tanya, but a wonderful meal. Like you, I’m all for chicken thighs. They’re just so much more flavorful and moist than any other part of the bird. Problem is, though, most organic chicken parts that I find are skinless and boneless. Apparently, if you like organic chicken you’re not allowed to have it with skin and bones — and you pay for the privilege because it’s even more expensive. Our food supply needs some work.
I was thinking how good this would be served with polenta or pasta and, just then, I read that you served it day two over pasta. Great minds, eh? I’m certainly going to give this a try, Tanya. Thanks for sharing.
What a shame it’s only available skinless and boneless…will have to air mail you one of our chickens 😉 And yes, although I served it next day with pasta in a different form, I think the chicken with the sauce would be gorgeous over polenta! Have a great day John.
I must agree, the thigh is the best part of the chicken! I love the honey mustard sauce you have made 🙂
Thanks Tandy…seems to be unanimous, we all love thighs the best!
Seems we are all thigh lovers – oh dear, that doesn’t sound too good, but you know what I mean. 😉 Fab sauce and what a winner of a left over recipe too!
🙂 Mandy xo
Sounds less cheeky than all being breast lovers 😉
hee hee 😉
What a great recipe and I have to say I also like the thighs.
We’ll have to try and breed the world’s first chicken with 82 thighs!
Your blog always makes me hungry. I can’t think of any part of the chicken I would refuse – and I agree less is better than low quality. I sneak lots of beans/lentils into dishes to stretch great meat (don’t tell The Management!) Since everyone here is in the ‘no waste’ camp (and I include myself) who are the people wasting all the food that the UK government are referring to? They must be wasting massive amounts.
Beans and lentils are great for making a little go a long way! And as for those folk wasting food, I suspect they are the people who can’t/won’t cook – buying horrible uneatable ready made food and not knowing how to turn tried veggies and a few pulses into a delicious soup. Anyone who has invested time and love into cooking something is unlikely to throw it away!
Mmmmm this sounds delicious, as well as being a simple supper and quick to make. I´ll have to try it over the weekend 🙂
Do hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Sounds like you had two terrific meals. I believe in waste not want not as well. Having half a roasted chicken left over for tonights meal.
Love leftover roast chicken (salad!) yummy 🙂
Oh yes, please!! This sounds great – English mustard is fine! Mmmm… hungry now!
English mustard does have rather a distinctive taste – hope all is well with you!
I agree with you about free range meat, especially chicken because it has taste when it has lived. This sounds delicious, although I’d probably try using French mustard rather than English as I find it too hot.
I love French mustard too, but I do quite like eating foods that make my eyes water 😉
Mmmhh that sounds so good, I want some now! (And it’s bright and early in the morning, chicken for breakfast anyone?) But just made a big pan of patatas a lo pobre with garlic sauce so I think the chicken will have to wait.
Oh lovely – I bet you enjoy those patatas!
Yummy recipe – I’m a thigh girl too! x
We need more thighs!
Honey mustard and chicken were just made to go together, and I love that you used wine and a spicy mustard…I’ll bet this was super good. And what a nice repurpose for your leftovers. I wouldn’t have thought to make a cream sauce for pasta with this, but know it was very delicious, too. Well done!
Mustard, honey and chicken were a match made in heaven…or at least in a good kitchen 🙂
Damn,the pata with leftover”superior stock sounds really delicius…..
i can heard the slurpping sound here! hehehe
Leftover are often almost better than the first run!
“Want not”??? Nonsense! Want! Want! Want!
🙂
This looks so delicious and I do happen to have a load of half finished jars of English mustard in my kitchen. What a great way to use them up.
Ooh you’ll be able to make lots of lovely dishes! Thanks for subscribing too 🙂
Nice recipe … I’ve made similar preparartions using Dijon or American style mustards, but the idea of using the English variety is novel and sounds great!
Each mustard has its own distinct flavour and charm!
Such a simple recipe that looks absolutely delicious!
Looks so delicious! I am going to give it a try as I am always looking for new chicken recipes. Thank you so much for sharing! 😀
Hi whipadish – thanks for visiting my blog 🙂 Glad you liked this dish, we loved it!
Sounds delicious! All ok after your Easter celebrations? Back to work! 🙂
All ok here – just starting work! It’s hard to get back into it L
But it’ll be worth it 🙂
Nice recipe, I have to try it.