Braised Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

What was expected to be a decent weekend upstate ended up being damp and cold again.  Comfort food was on the agenda.  One of our favorite chores during the week is picking the recipes for our meal for Saturday night.  We pour through all sorts of cookbooks and websites looking for options because by Friday we are tired and hungry and want to cook, bake and eat.  Not that we don't eat during the week but we are typically so busy , we order in and usually don't cook ourselves.  The weekend is when we get to experiment and enjoy the space we have in our large kitchen upstate.

So, after pulling a couple options this was our selection for this weekend.  While I painted the hallway  ceiling and finished wrapping burlap around shrubs and met with the Farm Feast crew at the Bovina Library.  Tim worked on Xmas presents and cooked a delicious dinner.

Braised Chicken and Brussels Sprouts

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole chicken (3-4 pounds cut into 10 pieces)
Salt and pepper
1 pound brussels sprouts trimmed and halved
2 medium shallots thinly sliced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons heavy cream

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees in a large ovenproof skillet. Heat oil over medium high. Season chicken with salt and pepper.  In batches, cook chicken until browned, about 6 minutes per side.  Transfer to a plate, then add brussels sprouts and shallots to pan.  Saute until golden brown.   3 minutes. Stir in mustard and cook 1 minute.  Add vinegar and broth, return chicken to pan, and bring to  a rapid simmer.

2. Transfer pan to oven and braise until chicken is cooked through.  20 to 25 minutes.  Add cream to pan and swirl to combine.  Season with salt and pepper.