I’m going to advertise this dish as if it were the perfect romantic dinner for two. And it is, but the truth is I made this meal to share with my daughter. Now, if you’re planning to make this for two hungry adults, you should probably double the recipe and go for two coquelets. And if you’re sharing this with an adult, I recommend you also share a bottle of nice white wine, although it would also pair nicely with a good Pinot Noir, thanks to the mustard sauce.

The real romance going on in this story is between the spring chicken and the mustard, they are a perfect match! This recipe is a French classic and it is really really good. It’s also easy to make and doesn’t take too long to cook. The coquelet needs to be washed and dried, covered with the mustard paste, then placed over the vegetables; everything then gets thrown in the oven to roast. The skin on my coquelet burned a little, but if this happens to you too, don’t worry, simply remove the skin and discover the tender, made-to-perfection, meat underneath. If you’re a perfectionist or you simply love to eat the skin, then I suggest you cover the whole thing with aluminium foil for the last 25-30 minutes of roasting, to prevent from burning.

No matter who you plan to share this meal with, I hope you give it a try. It’s such a great dish for Fall, it’s simple and delicious and all the while, homey with a touch of refined; definitely, a keeper!

Coquelet à la Moutarde

1 coquelet

1 yellow onion, sliced into rounds

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

2 potatoes, peeled and sliced

1 Tblsp Moutarde à l’ancienne

1 Tblsp Dijon or regular mustard

3 Tblsp crème fraîche

A few sprigs of thyme

Salt and pepper, to taste

Olive oil, for drizzling

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F. Wash the coquelet with water and a little vinegar. Pat dry with paper towels. In a medium bowl, mix the mustard, the crème fraîche, thyme, salt and pepper until well combined. Place all the sliced vegetables in an oven proof dish, drizzle with olive oil, season with a little salt and pepper and give everything a toss. Cover the coquelet with the mustard cream all over and make sure to spoon some of the mixture in the cavity, as well a sprig of thyme. Place the coquelet over the vegetables, drizzle with a little olive oil, add a little water. Pop in the oven for one hour, until everything is well cooked and the coquelet is crispy and golden-brown.