May 08 2010
Contest Chicken
Megan and I had a busy day yesterday. In anticipation, I started dinner in the morning.
I know that sounds crazy, but I knew that neither one of us would want to battle our wholly inadequate kitchenettes by the time we got home, and boy, was I right. I could barely make the effort to open a bottle of wine. Oh, sommelier, where art thou?
I made a fabulous Dad recipe, which Megan always says could win a contest. Despite its hour and a half cooking time, it’s easy to make and you probably already have everything you need to make it:
Braised Honey Mustard Chicken
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, halved
1 onion, chopped (I used Vidalia)
2 tablespoons honey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
Juice of a lemon (I used Meyer)
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of freshly ground pepper
Combine all ingredients except the first two in a small bowl. Put the chicken and onions into a casserole. Pour the mustard mixture over the chicken, mix well to ensure that the chicken and onions are well coated with sauce. [Note: I mixed everything but the chicken in the casserole, then put the chicken in and mixed it around to cover with the sauce. One less dish and it works fine.] Cover, ensuring lid is tight, and bake for an hour and a half at 325 degrees F. [I used a casserole which belonged to my parents when they were first married, 50 years ago.]
You’ll think that a couple of tablespoons of honey and mustard won’t cover all the chicken, but it will. And it will make enough sauce, too. You’ll see. Spray the tablespoon with cooking spray before measuring out the honey and mustard so they don’t stick.
I served this with almond rice pilaf and broccoli. We ate it all.
Oddly, though this is in the cookbooks Dad made for both Megan and me, we don’t remember making it (or eating it) when he was alive. I wish we could tell him how much we enjoy it and how we often rely on it for dinner after a busy day. If we ever enter it in a contest, he gets the credit.