There’s Always Room for Improvement, plus a Word about Mustard

Improvement Example: Roasted Chicken with Dijon Mustard

When I first made the chicken with mustard sauce, (June 20, 2011)
I overcooked the chicken. To avoid tis from happening again, I brined the chicken (which makes them juicy) and sautéed them for 3 minutes for side. Instead of heavy cream, I used regular milk, which worked just as well. Happy to say, the meal was a success.

Menu
Roasted Chicken with Dijon Mustard Sauce
Baked Cauliflower
Watercress Salad
Wine: Wölffer Estate Rosé 2010
Dessert: Grapes

Roasted Chicken with Dijon Sauce

½ skinless, boneless chicken breast, pounded flat, cut in half
salt and black pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, more if desired
Chopped parsley for garnish

Pat chicken dry and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a sauté pan. When hot, add chicken and sauté, three minutes per side. Remove from pan. Add shallots and wine to the pan juices. Raise heat and boil until reduced by half. Add the milk and boil until slightly thickened. Whisk in mustard, and adjust seasoning. Pour the sauce over the chicken and garnish with the chopped parsley.

Baked Cauliflower (Oct. 19, 2010)

1 small head of cauliflower
Juice of half a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil (more if needed)
Sea salt and black pepper
Opt. Grated Parmesan
Preheat oven to 400 degrees

Cut the cauliflower into florets and arranged in a single layer in an oven-proof dish. Sprinkle lemon juice over florets and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Bake the dish in the preheated oven, uncovered, till cooked through (about 30-35 minutes), and the tops had turned lightly brown. Removed the dish from the oven and pour the remaining pan juices over the cauliflower. I skipped the grated cheese because I thought it would make the meal too rich.

I’ve been an advocate of Wöllfer Estate wines from the beginning. I wrote several articles about the wines and the wine maker Roman Roth with whom we became friends. The Wöllfer Rosé is a classic Provençal style rosé, of medium weight and a lovely bouquet.

Second example: gilding the lily. Grilled Salmon with Mustard Glaze (posted March 19, 2011; redone June 24, 2011)

This is George’s all time favorite fish dish. I prepare it when I want to make up for a meal that didn’t turn out so well, or when I’ve run out of ideas. When I told George that I was planning to make salmon with mustards glaze for dinner, he said: “Get some Prosciutto to go with it.”

I couldn’t see it at first, but it turned out to be a brilliant idea. The different textures between the fish and the Prosciutto, and the sweet glaze and salty ham, were magical. Not exactly kosher, but heavenly in a pagan kind of way.

Quite incidentally, both dishes involved Dijon mustard. It reminded
me of my press trip to Dijon, sponsored by Maille’s public relations company. I became so enamored with mustard, I decided to write a book on the subject. Nothing came of it, but I organized a mustard tasting dinner for members of Les Dames d’Escoffier, an event that was highlighted by a mustard pump, flown in from Paris, to dispense fresh mustard, and wrote a mustard article for Food Arts that included some 20 recipes. So be prepared for some upcoming mustard driven dishes.