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I have been making this chicken dish for over 40 years. It was the first dinner I ever made for Suzi. That night ended well, so I recommend this dish heartily.

We often try to add flavor to our protein with varying results. Marinades and rubs can either prove to be fruitless or overpowering. I have had steak rubs that burned my mouth and left me unable to taste the steak. And, I’m marinating chicken overnight and tasted “nothing” but chicken.

On your shelf, or in your fridge, is a very power ingredient. Mustard. It might be fancy and French. Or it just might be French’s. Applied to meat, and then augmented with herbs, it can engender a wonderful subtle yet sophisticated flavor.

Here, chicken breasts are coated in mustard, then rolled in breach crumbs that have been toasted in butter and scented with chopped parsley. Lots of parsley. And the more mustard the better.

This dish is lovely hot out of the oven, cold the next day, and even wrapped up in a sandwich a couple of days later.


Brian’s Mustard Chicken with Parsillade

Yield: serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 3 ounces of butter
  • 2 cups bread crumbs, plain or herbed if you prefer.
  • ¾ cup chopped parsley
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • ¾ cup mustard of your choice

Preparation:

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Line a half-sheet baking pan with foil.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bread crumbs and stir constantly until the butter is absorbed. Continue stirring until the bread crumbs begin to brown and you can smell them just beginning to toast. Add the parsley, stir to mix and remove from the heat.

If necessary, pound the chicken breasts until they are relatively flat. You want a common cooking time for the breast and very thick and very thin portions will cause you a problem.

Put the mustard in a large bowl. One at a time, dip a breast into the mustard, using your hand to ensure the entire breast is covered in mustard. Then place the breast in the skillet and roll it gently so it is completely covered with crumbs. Place on the prepared sheet pan.

Repeat with the other breasts. Put the sheet pan in the oven and bake for about 25 minutes. Use an instant read thermometer to get a temperature of 165° F in the thickest part of the breast.

Remove from the oven. Let rest for five minutes and server.


Source: Brian O’Rourke

Photo Information: Canon T2i, EFS 60mm Macro Lens, F/3.5 for 1/30th second at ISO‑400