Chicken

Chicken and Pears Braised in Lemon Mustard Sauce

by:
October 16, 2009
0
0 Ratings
  • Serves 4
Author Notes

The zinginess of the mustard and lemon go perfectly with the sweet pears and both complement the chicken perfectly. The secret is to get a pear that's just reached ripeness -- one that's soft to the touch, but not too soft. The variety doesn't really matter, but I'm partial to comice, myself. —vrunka

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Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 lemons, juiced (about 2/3 cup)
  • 2 teaspoons lemon zest, finely grated
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • salt
  • black pepper
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 ripe but firm pears, sliced about 1/4" thick
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  • 4 sprigs fresh thyme
Directions
  1. In a small bowl whisk together the mustard, lemon juice, lemon zest, dried thyme and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
  2. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over the chicken thighs.
  3. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add the chicken thighs, browning about 2 minutes each side. Set chicken thighs aside in a separate dish.
  4. In the same skillet, reduce heat to medium and melt the butter. Add the onion slices and coat well with butter. Let the onions cook until soft and golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
  5. Toss the pear slices in the skillet with the onions. Add the chicken back to the skillet and cover the pieces with the onions and pears.
  6. Add the lemon mustard sauce and chicken broth and allow the sauce to come to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
  7. Add more salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Serve with a sprig of fresh thyme for garnish.

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3 Reviews

tjm October 31, 2014
I wanted to make something special and this was a perfect recipe for that. It was delicious and very easy to make.
vrunka October 31, 2014
so glad you enjoyed it! It's perfect for fall.
BellaBrown December 13, 2009
This turned out excellent! The sauce is nice and creamy . I did put in less butter for health reasons but it still turned out amazing!