Chicken Dijonnaise with Späetzle

Chicken Dijonnaise is a classic French dish that uses Dijon mustard. Since the Dijon region is close to Germany the flavors of France and Germany can easily be combined to create a fabulous dish. That is exactly what we did with this recipe and the sauce complements the plain späetzle perfectly. However, you can easily substitute simple boiled potatoes as your side dish. The ingredient amounts will serve 4. Adjust ingredient amounts to accommodate the number of people serving.

Ingredients

Chicken Dijonnaise
1/4 cup of butter
2 large chicken breast cut in half
2 eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon of water
1/2 cup of flour
2 tablespoons of fresh tarragon or 2 teaspoons of dried tarragon
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper about 1 teaspoon of each
1/4 cup of shallots minced
1 cup of white wine
2 cups of chicken broth
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper about 1/2 teaspoon of each
1/2 cup of heavy cream
2 teaspoons of grainy Dijon mustard
1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch
2 tablespoons of water
Späetzle (optional, but recommended)
2 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon of cream of tartar
2 eggs beaten
1 cup of milk

Technique

On a plate add flour, tarragon, salt and pepper and mix. Add butter to a medium to large cast iron skillet or regular skillet melt butter over medium high heat. While butter is melting, add chicken to beaten egg and dredge in flour mixture. Sear chicken on both sides until browned about 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken and place on a plate. Add shallots and sauté for about 30 seconds. Add wine and deglaze pan. Add broth, chicken and salt and pepper and reduce sauce by half and cook chicken thoroughly about 10 minutes. Turn chicken breasts half way through process. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken; no pink should remain in the middle. Remove chicken and place on a different plate than the one previously used and tent with foil to keep warm. Whisk in cream and Dijon mustard. Make a thickening agent by mixing cornstarch and water. Bring the sauce to a boil over high heat gradually whisk gradually into sauce until slightly thickened. Not all of it may be needed. The thickening agent is optional if the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.

You can make späetzle while chicken is cooking, so both components of the meal will be ready at roughly the same time. Fill a large pot 1/2 way to 3/4 of the way with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover the pot if you want to bring the water to a boil faster. Make späetzle while waiting for water to boil. In a large bowl add all ingredients and beat until just incorporated, but do not over beat. Using a späetzle maker, large-holed sieve or large-holed cheese grater, press dough through the device of your choice into the large pot of boiling water. Do in batches or it will stick together. Stir frequently and cook for about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, place in a large bowl and continue to make the rest. If you don’t intend to pour the sauce over the späetzle, add butter and salt and pepper to the späetzle. Fresh herbs and garlic are good options too.

Serve chicken and späetzle plated or family style with sauce.

Suggested Beverage

Try François Labet Pouilly – Fuissé (France), Macon – Villages White Burgundy (France), Flensburger Brauerei Gold Premium Lager (Germany), Flensburger Brauerei Pilsener Lager (Germany) or Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen German Amber.