Roast chicken with Dijon mustard

It may be that no one has done a cookbook on roasting before because it's so simple. I've always admired cookbook authors, however, who are not afraid to put in simple recipes. It was one of the things that drew me to Marcella Hazan. Those of us who haven't really learned in a cooking tradition can benefit from descriptions of the simplest techniques.

So I appreciate Molly Stevens filling her All About Roasting with simple recipes. This one involves taking chicken pieces -- she recommends cutting up a whole chicken but you can use any bone-in, skin-on pieces -- and massaging them in 1/3 c. Dijon mustard, salt and pepper and leaving them in the bowl covered with plastic (outside the fridge) for 1-1/2 hrs. (alternatively, 4 hrs. in the fridge). Then you put them into a baking dish where they're not squeezed or overlapping (9x13), put a dollop of creme fraiche on each piece (1/4 c. altogether), and pour 1/4 c. white wine or vermouth around the pieces (not over, or  you'll wash off the mustard), and pop them in a preheated 375-degree oven for 45 min.

When done, remove the chicken pieces to a platter and cover loosely with foil. Pour sauce into saucepan and reduce by half for 4 to 8 min. Stir in 1 to 2 Tbl. lemon juice and 2 Tbl. chopped herbs (tarragon, chervil or parsley) and ladle sauce over chicken pieces. Serve with rice or buttered noodles.

Whole Foods had a great Friday special on whole chickens so I got one and used this recipe. It was really very good -- the chicken stayed very moist and had a lot of flavor from the mustard (though not sharply mustardy) and the sauce had a wonderful chicken flavor from the rendered fat. We had the buttered noodles and they soaked up the sauce nicely. I had parsley on hand, so used it, but this would be divine with tarragon.