Braising chicken in milk makes it incredibly tender and moist. It might sound like an odd combination at first, but wait until you try it! You'll be hooked! The milk turns into a lusciously rich sauce! I love to use chicken thighs because they are so very flavorful. 


Photography by Julia Cawley + Recipes & Food Styling by Saskia van Deelen + Text by Leigh Angel

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SERVES 2

You will need:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 chicken thighs
8 small shallots, peeled
salt
freshly ground pepper
1 bulb fennel
3 sprigs thyme
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon coarse mustard
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
2 slices organic lemon
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
  1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a pan, and brown the chicken on all sides for about 3 minutes over medium heat.
  3. Peel the shallots, put them in the pan whole, and fry briefly.
  4. Place the chicken, skin side up, and the shallots in an ovenproof dish. Salt and pepper the chicken pieces.
  5. Clean, wash, and cut the fennel bulb into strips. Cut the fennel green and set aside for decoration.
  6. Wash the sprigs of thyme, pat dry, and pluck the leaves.
  7. Heat the milk with the chicken stock in a small saucepan, and remove from heat. Stir in the mustard and mustard powder. Sprinkle on the thyme leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Halve and add the lemon slices.
  8. Pour milk sauce over the chicken. Cook in the middle of the oven for about 1 hour.
  9. Add the fennel bulb to the baking dish, and cook for another 30 minutes. In between, baste the mustard milk on the chicken legs again and again.
  10. Roast the almond slices in a dry pan until golden brown.
  11. Remove the chicken thighs and lemon slices from the sauce before serving.
  12. Season the sauce with salt and pepper, and bring sauce to a quick boil. Serve the chicken with the sauce, sprinkle with the fennel greens, and the toasted almond slices.

TIP:

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Braising chicken in milk makes it incredibly tender and moist. It might sound like an odd combination at first, but wait until you try it! You'll be hooked! The milk turns into a lusciously rich sauce! I love to use chicken thighs because they are so very flavorful.
Photography by

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