Easter Dinner 2012 (Chicken wtih Mustard Cream Sauce and Asparagus Gratin)

I had been planning on grilling on Easter, but we're currently under a fire weather warning, so I thought it would be a bad idea to do so. So I found these recipes instead. And they were very tasty. I paired them with some popovers, which were absolutely perfect for sopping up the mustard cream sauce. Yum.

Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce
A variation on this recipe from The Pioneer Woman




4 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3 whole garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup brandy (or white wine, if preferred)
1 tablespoon (heaping) Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon (heaping) grainy mustard
1/4 cup (to 1/2) heavy cream
1/4 cup (to 1/2) chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that you have eight smaller, thinner chicken cutlets. Salt and pepper both sides.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cutlets on both sides until nice and golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and keep on a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the pan and saute it for a minute, stirring to make sure it won't burn. Next pour in the brandy (or wine if using) being careful if cooking over an open flame. Then just let the booze bubble up and cook until it's reduced by half.

Throw in the mustards and stir to combine, then pour in the cream. Stir in chicken broth, adding more if the sauce seems too thick. Taste sauce and adjust whatever you think it needs. Add chicken breasts back to the pan, nestling them into the sauce. Allow sauce to cook for another few minutes, shaking the pan if needed to move things around.

Serve chicken, spooning the sauce over the top.

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Asparagus Gratin
Courtesy of Leite's Culinaria



1 pound asparagus, ends trimmed
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Asiago fresco cheese
3 tablespoons dried bread crumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus 1 to 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F.

Arrange the asparagus in a single layer in a large baking dish and drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Toss the spears gently to coat with the oil.

In a bowl, whisk together the cheese, bread crumbs, parsley, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a grinding of pepper. Drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and stir until well mixed. Sprinkle the bread-crumb mixture over the asparagus. Bake, uncovered, until the asparagus is just tender and the topping is melted and golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your asparagus.

Drizzle the asparagus with some lemon juice and serve hot, straight from the baking dish, or transfer to a lovely little gratin dish to take to the table.