French bistro chicken with crispy smashed potatoes and Dijon pan sauce — €2.90 per serving. Full step-by-step video is on YouTube — find it through my profile. Episode 01 of 100 Dinners Under €5. Serves 2 Total cost: €5.80 Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 50–60 minutes INGREDIENTS For the chicken: • 700 g bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs or leg quarters • 7 g salt • Black pepper For the smashed potatoes: • 800 g small or medium potatoes • 20–25 ml olive oil • Salt and black pepper For the Dijon pan sauce: • 60 g onion or shallot, finely chopped • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped • 120 ml dry white wine • 180 ml chicken stock • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard • 35–40 g cold butter, cubed • Juice of ½ lemon, to taste • Fresh parsley METHOD 1. Season the chicken with salt, ideally a few hours or a day ahead. Leave it uncovered in the fridge, then pat the skin completely dry. 2. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Place the chicken skin-side down in a cold, dry pan with no oil. Turn the heat to medium and cook without moving it for 10–14 minutes, until the fat renders and the skin becomes deeply golden and crisp. 3. Flip and cook for 1–2 minutes. Transfer the chicken skin-side up to the oven and roast for 20–30 minutes, until it reaches about 77–80°C / 171–176°F near the bone. Rest uncovered for 5–10 minutes. 4. Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 18–25 minutes. Drain, let them steam-dry, then gently smash them. 5. Brush both sides with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and roast at 190°C / 375°F for 25–35 minutes, until golden and crisp around the edges. 6. Pour most of the chicken fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon. Add the onion and cook for 1–2 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds. 7. Pour in the wine and scrape up all the browned bits. Reduce for 2–3 minutes, then add the chicken stock and Dijon mustard. Simmer for 4–6 minutes, until slightly reduced and glossy. 8. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the cold butter a few cubes at a time. Finish with lemon juice and chopped parsley. Serve the chicken skin-side up and spoon the sauce around it — not directly over the crispy skin. Prices are based on what I paid in Galicia, Spain, so yours may vary. Save this recipe — and watch the full step-by-step version on YouTube. #BudgetDinner #ChickenRecipe #100DinnersUnder5 - @dimalicooks