Sticky Honey & Mustard Chicken With
Creamy Leeks & Crispy Onions

Sticky comforting chicken with the heat of mustard and sweetness of honey served over creamy leeks with a garnish of crispy onions for crunch. The perfect pairing. Goes beautifully with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon.

INGREDIENTS

For the sticky chicken:

6-8 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed
1 ½ heaped tbsp wholegrain mustard
2 ½ heaped tbsp honey

For the creamy leeks:

3 leeks, (750g), trimmed and cut into thin rounds
1/2 onion, sliced
100 g unsmoked bacon lardons
5 tbsp lighter creme fraiche
1 ½ tsp caraway seeds
White pepper and salt to season
350 ml boiling water with 1 chicken stock cube, dissolved
1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil

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For the crispy onions:

1/2 an onion sliced finely, dipped into water then into 1 tbsp cornflour until coated,
2 tbsp vegetable oil

METHOD

Preheat your oven to 180/fan (gas mark 6). Line a baking tray with foil. Lay out the chicken thighs upon the foil. In a bowl mix together the honey and wholegrain mustard. Slather half the mixture over the chicken thighs then place them on the middle shelf of the oven to begin cooking. Heat a small saucepan up and add in around 2 tbsp oil. Once nice and hot add the cornflour coated onions and fry until super crispy and golden then remove and set aside upon some kitchen towel to remove any excess oil. This will be used as a garnish later.
Once the chicken has been cooking for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and baste with the remaining honey and mustard mixture. Season with salt and pepper then return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes. As the chicken finishes cooking heat up a large skillet or frying pan on a medium heat. Add 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil.
Once the oil is hot add in the remaining sliced onion and bacon lardons to the frying pan. Fry for a few minutes until the onions begin to soften and become translucent and the bacon slightly crispy on the edges. Add the caraway seeds and fry for a minute then add the leeks. Stir everything together and after around 3 minutes pour in the chicken stock. Turn the heat up until the liquid is simmering and cook until the leeks are tender and the stock reduced. Season with salt & pepper. Turn the heat down a bit.
Remove the sticky cooked chicken thighs from the oven and leave to rest for 4-5 minutes. As they rest, turn the heat for the leeks down really low and add in the creme fraiche, stir until coated and creamy. Turn off the heat. Serve up the leeks and top with the honey mustard chicken. Drizzle over any juices left on the baking tray where the chicken was resting. Garnish with the crispy onion strands.