Poached Chicken with Grainy Mustard Sauce

main_00519_t.jpg
Servings:
4

Grainy mustard is spooned over poached chicken with apricots and pineapple.Per serving: 318 calories, 3 g fat, 53 g cholesterol, 21 g carbohydrate, 377 mg sodium, 32 g protein, 4 g dietary fiber.

Ingredients

  • 4 skinless chicken breast halves, bone in

  • 2 carrots, scrubbed

  • 2 small onions, peeled and cut in half

  • 2 celery stalks, cut into 3-inch pieces

  • 1 dried bay leaf

  • 10 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • 1 cup dry white wine

  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns

  • ¾ cup dried apricots

  • 2 cups fresh pineapple, in 1-inch cubes

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper

  • ½ teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

  • 1 teaspoon grainy mustard

  • ¼ pound baby lettuce, such as mache

Directions

  1. Place chicken, carrots, onions, celery, bay leaf, parsley, wine, and peppercorns in a stockpot. Add water to cover (about 3 quarts); bring to a boil. Reduce heat so liquid is at a bare simmer. Poach, adjusting heat to maintain bare simmer and skimming any scum off the top, until chicken is cooked, 20 to 25 minutes.

  2. Remove chicken from stock; use a sharp knife to remove meat from bones. Place meat in a dish; add stock to just cover. Return bones to pot; simmer until very flavorful, about 1 hour. Pass stock through a cheesecloth-lined strainer; discard solids.

  3. In a clean saucepan, return stock to a boil. Reduce heat so stock is at a bare simmer. Add apricots and pineapple, and poach until tender, about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove fruit; season fruit with 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon tarragon.

  4. Raise heat to high; cook stock until reduced to 1/3 cup, 45 minutes. Reduce heat to low; whisk in mustard, 1/4 teaspoon each salt and tarragon, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper.

  5. Divide lettuce among four plates. Slice chicken; place on greens. Pour mustard sauce over chicken, and serve with reserved apricot-and-pineapple mixture.

Related Articles