chicken with leeks and mustard

great meat and veg dish, this - simple, comforting but with a little kick of mustard at the end. you can add another veg to the mix - you can see celeriac on my photos - but i'd probably just do leeks next time.

CHICKEN WITH LEEKS AND MUSTARD
for two

half a chicken, jointed - either in breast and leg, or into four pieces. you can also use 4 chicken thighs or whatever combination of chicken bits you fancy - as long as they're on the bone
salt and pepper
olive oil or butter for frying
200ml dry white wine
4 medium leeks, trimmed, cleaned and cut into 5cm lengths
2 cloves of garlic
leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
200ml chicken stock
1 1/2 tbsp dijon mustard
a large handful of parsley, finely chopped

heat the oven to 200C. season the chicken well on both sides and, in a flameproof casserole with a lid, brown the pieces in olive oil in batches. 3 minutes on skin side and maybe a minute on the other. don't crowd the pan or they will boil. be patient.

take the chicken out when done, tip most of the fat out of it and add the wine. let it bubble for five minutes, then add everything else apart from mustard and parsley. let it cook for another five minutes.

put the chicken pieces back in, cover with a lid and put in the oven for 30 minutes. take the lid off and cook for another 30 or until the chicken is done - depends on how big your pieces are.

finally, stir in the mustard and parsley into the sauce, taking care to preserve the crispy skin. easier to do if you plate your chicken pieces, and then fix the sauce.