Chicken with Mustard

• 1/2 cup, plus 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard- divided
• 1/4 teaspoon sweet or smoked paprika

freshly ground black pepper

• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt
• 4 chicken thighs and 4 chicken legs
• 1 cup diced smoked thick-cut bacon
• 1 small onion, peeled and finely diced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 tablespoon whole mustard seeds or grainy mustard
• 2 to 3 tablespoons crème fraîche or heavy cream

warm water (optional)

chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or chives, for garnish

1. 1. In a large bowl, combine 1/2 cup of the Dijon mustard with paprika, a few grinds of pepper and the salt. Add the chicken pieces to the mustard mixture and toss to combine. Be sure to lift up the skin and rub the mustard mixture underneath.
2. 2. Heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the bacon. Cook the bacon, stirring often, until it is browned and crisp. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Leave about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the pan and discard the rest. Add the onion to the bacon fat and cook for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent. Stir in the thyme, and let cook for another few minutes, and then scrape the cooked onion into a bowl.
3. 3. If the pan is too dry, add a little olive oil to the pan and place the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer (cook in two batches if they don't all fit). Cook over medium-high heat, browning the chicken pieces well on one side, then flip them over and brown them on the other side. It's important to get the chicken nicely colored as the coloring- as well as the darkened bits on the bottom of the pan, called the fond- will give the finished sauce its delicious flavor.
4. 4. Remove the chicken pieces and put them in the bowl with the onions. Add the wine to the hot pan, scraping the darkened bits off the bottom with your spoon. Return the chicken pieces to the pan along with the bacon and onions. Cover and cook over low to medium heat, turning the chicken in the sauce a few times during cooking, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Check doneness by sticking a knife into the meat next to the thigh bone; if it's red, continue cooking for a few more minutes.
5. 5. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard, the mustard seeds, and the crème fraîche. If the sauce has reduced and is quite thick, you can thin it with a little warm water. Sprinkle chopped parsley over the top and serve.