Chicken Breasts in Mustard Sauce
Quick, creamy and with a restaurant finish, built on deglazing.
The move that carries it: the chicken comes out at 80% cooked and goes back in at the end. It finishes cooking in the sauce, which is why it stays juicy — chicken breast left in the pan the whole time is dry before the sauce is ready.
And do not wash the pan between steps. The browned bits on the bottom are the flavor; the white wine lifts them and that is the entire base of the sauce.
The same mustard, as a sauce on its own: the white wine and mustard sauce with scallions.
Ingredients
- 2 large chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard (or a strong traditional mustard)
- 150 ml heavy cream (double cream)
- 50 ml dry white wine
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- Salt, pepper and fresh thyme, to taste
Method
- 1
Cut the breasts into evenly thick fillets or large cubes. Season lightly.
- 2
In a wide skillet (frying pan) over medium-high heat, warm the oil and the butter. Brown the chicken on both sides until it is about 80% cooked, roughly 3-4 minutes per side. Take it out and set it aside on a plate.
- 3
In the same pan — do not wash it — lower the heat to medium and add the onion. Cook until translucent. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon: those browned bits are the base of the sauce.
- 4
Once the wine has reduced by half, add the mustard and the cream. Stir until combined. Add the thyme and let the sauce thicken over low heat for a few minutes.
- 5
Return the chicken to the pan with its juices. Cook everything together for 2-3 minutes more, so the chicken finishes cooking and takes on the sauce. Serve immediately.
Chicken
Chicken is the wild card of everyday cooking: it stretches, it is cheap and it takes almost any technique. These are the recipes where it stops being a fallback and becomes the dish — stuffed, pan-fried, braised, with sauces built to keep it juicy instead of dry.
