Braised Chicken with Whole-Grain Mustard and Apples

Ingredients:

• 1 whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces, bone-in, skinless, fat removed
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups apple juice
• 4 Grammy Smith apples, cored, peeled, and cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth or water
• 2 tbsp. whole grain mustard
• 1 tbsp. parsley, chopped
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. grated lemon zest
• 4 cups brown rice pilaf, cooked (optional)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

Makes 8 Servings 

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Let sit for 30 minutes to overnight.
2. Heat large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and half the chicken pieces; lightly brown the chicken. Remove from the pan; repeat with remaining pieces. Place chicken in crockpot on low heat, legs and thighs on the bottom, breast meat on top. 
3. Deglaze sauté pan with apple juice and reduce by half. Pour reduction over chicken in crockpot. 
4. Add remaining olive oil to sauté pan and sauté apples until golden brown.
5. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup chicken broth or water. Stir in whole-grain mustard. Bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over the chicken in the crockpot. Cook on low heat. Remove the chicken breasts after 1 hour if they are cooked, and let the legs continue to cook until fork tender, about another hour. 
6. When the chicken is tender, degrease the sauce; stir in parsley, lemon juice and zest.
7. Serve over hot brown rice pilaf with sautéed chard. 

WW POINTS VALUE: 9 pts.

Note: This recipe appears in the New Sonoma Cookbook. This is what I call elegant comfort food. You can enjoy this dish during the cold fall and winter nights and it will leave you satisfied. The apples give the dish a nice flavorful texture to the dish. I highly recommend adding a touch of minced garlic to this dish because garlic always makes everything taste better.