Capers and Lemon Chicken Dijon with Melted Leeks

No, this is not named after one of our local restaurants - just another installment on the Chicken Dijon theme, now pairing with lemons and melted leeks.  And where there are lemons, there might also just be a few capers.

The chicken roasts over a bed of caramelized leeks, in a tangy sauce of Dijon mustard and white wine.  The lemons also melt a bit and add their juicy tang to the sauce as they cook down.
5-6 chicken breasts, about 2-1/2 lb, rinsed and patted dry
1 tsp herbes do Provence, or Italian herbs

2 leeks, trimmed, cleaned and sliced into 3-inch lengths
1 orange bell pepper, sliced into matchsticks
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp drained capers
2 lemons, sliced lengthwise into eighths, pits removed

1/4 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

palmful fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped

Preheat oven to 400F. Trim your chicken thighs of any extraneous fat, and skin.

Brown thighs in a bit of olive oil, in a non-stick skillet, about 5 minutes on each side. Season with herbs de Provence along with Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

Remove chicken thighs to a plate.

In the same skillet, sauté the leeks and orange pepper for about 8-10 minutes. Add a Tablespoon of water at first to help soften the leeks, and allow the water to boil off. When the leeks have ‘melted’ add the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes.

Tip the leek-pepper mixture into a large casserole, large enough to hold the chicken.

Lay the chicken thighs on top of the leeks and scatter the capers on top.

Whisk together the wine and Dijon mustard. Pour mixture over chicken pieces. Then wedge the lemon slices about the chicken pieces.

Roast chicken for 20-30 minutes, until chicken is cooked through (juices run clear when prodded with a sharp knife), and lemons are browning around the edges.

Serves 4.

Cook's Note:  If you'd like a slightly creamier sauce, you could substitute cream for the white wine.