Friday, March 1, 2013

French Fridays with Dorie - Chicken Breasts Diable (Poulet à la diable with Homemade Wholegrain Mustard)


Today´s recipe for the French Fridays with Dorie group is Chicken Breasts Diable (Poulet à la diable). Low in fat and quick to cook, skinless chicken breasts are an easy option for a simple supper and this recipe is no exception. The dish gets its “devilish” name from the addition of mustard to the cream based sauce. Mustard is a bit the “unsung hero” of the kitchen cupboard, adding some heat and a depth of flavor to a huge range of dishes. It is actually made from nothing more than mustard seeds and some flavoring ingredients.




Dorie´s recipe calls for sautéeing chicken cutlets and making a pan sauce with shallots and garlic, white wine, cream, and mustard – she suggests that it is best to use either a Dijon mustard (used for example also in salad dressings and marinades) or a wholegrain mustard (prominently used for example also in salmon gravalax sauce and honey glazes for hams).

To round out this chicken with the cream sauce, I bought some fresh spinach and sautéed it in some olive oil with some new spring garlic




…and made the new “family favorite”, namely Roesti (Rösti) - albeit this time, I made mini versions.




Since I like to make cream based sauces for my chicken or pork every so often, I thought that it was time to make the preparation of this kind of sauce a bit more interesting. I decided to make my own wholegrain mustard to be added to this sauce “à la diable”.

Mustard is available in many different styles and from any shop that sells food. Artisanal mustards have become quite the rage around here recently and we will be visiting an artisan “mustard mill” during the Easter break, but for now, I realized that it could not be easier to make your own mustard. The advantage being that you can make the mustard exactly how you like it and you will have a certain sense of satisfaction that you get when you succeed in making something that tastes better than the store bought variety.




Mustard is made by setting off a series of chemical reactions. The mustard seeds itself are not inherently pungent, they need some grinding and water to spark the distinctive kick, which then needs to be held in place by vinegar and preserved with salt. You can add whatever you like to make it your own, such as some local honey, dried herbs (maybe from your garden), some spices, or even chili. The homemade mustard needs a day or two to mellow. So here is the recipe for a basic mustard that can be adjusted to a whole variety of different tatses.




Recipe for Homemade Wholegrain Mustard

Ingredients for the Mustard
  • 6 tbsp mustard seeds (I used 5 tbsp yellow mustard seeds and 1 tbsp brown mustard seeds)
  • 2 tsps fine French sea salt
  • ½ tbsp mustard powder (I used Colmans mustard powder)
  • 6 tbsp white wine or cold water (I used the same French white wine that I also used in the cream sauce)
  • 3 tbsp vinegar (I used a Riesling vinegar from our local oil and vinegar manufacturer)
  • honey to taste (I always use local honey in all my cooking and baking)
  • some dried herbs, turmeric, ginger, or cloves (entirely optional)



Preparation of the Mustard
  1. Grind about half the mustard seeds in a pestle and mortar or coffee grinder until fine. It is best to do this in stages.
  2. Then add the rest and give them another quick grind. The resulting mixture should be smooth and rough at the same time (some powder, some cracked seeds, a few whole seeds)
  3. Transfer the mustard seed mixture to a bowl and stir in the salt and mustard powder. 
  4. If using, add one of the optional ingredients now as well.
  5. Then pour in the wine or cold water . The mustard can be made a bit more mellow if you substitute warm water at this stage.
  6. Stir in the vinegar.
  7. Pour into a sterilized glass jar and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before serving. NOTE: You can keep the mustard for a few months in your fridge.

Once you have prepared the chicken breasts for this recipe and prepare the “sauce à la diable”, you can add about three tablespoons of your homemade wholegrain mustard together with the white wine, cream and the other ingredients. Quite delightful!




We all loved this recipe for “Poulet à la Diable with Homemade Wholegrain Mustard”, the sautéed spinach with new garlic and the mini Roesti (Rösti). What a wonderful weekday dinner!

To see how the Chicken Breasts Diable were prepared by the other members of the French Fridays with Dorie group, please do click here.



42 comments:

  1. I'm impressed! I've never considered making my own mustard, but why not? You have inspired me again. Beautiful meal and wonderfully presented. Look forward to seeing pics from your mustard outing.

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    1. Kris, thanks so much, the post from the artisan mustard mill will make an April appearance on my blog - just waiting for the Easter holidays to start.

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  2. Thanks for posting your mustard recipe...I made one once and didn't care for it. Your ingredient mix looks more to my taste. And the Rosti! Yum! Great photos, beautiful plating!

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    1. Thanks for visiting, Pam, the Roestis are side dish that is universally liked in our house and they are so very easy to prepare in advance.

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  3. Would never have considered making mustard, but that is so interesting. Your dish looks so inviting especially with the side
    of spinach. We loved the chicken and it is certainly going to be repeated.

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    1. Thanks so much, Nana. This chicken recipe was a real crowd pleaser and I have already had requests to make it again - I will gladly oblige soon.

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  4. The dish looks lovely. You are very ambitious in making your own mustard. I need to try it sometime - thanks you for sharing the recipe:)

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    1. Geraldine, the homemade mustard is one of the most simple things to make and it is fun to watch the ingredients actually turn into mustard after a few hours in the fridge.

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  5. I'm inspired, Andrea. I never thought to make homemade mustard, but you make it sound so simple. I so enjoyed this recipe. The sauce was something I'll make again and again. I hope you have a great weekend.

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    1. Betsy, thanks, this was a nice and delicious recipe and certainly worth many repeats.

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  6. Homemade mustard is quite the rage in some circles here, too. I've not tried my hand at it, but your recipe sounds wonderful. Spinach and Roesti sound like lovely sides for this chicken. I've heard that Roesti can be difficult to master - yours looks perfect.

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    1. Teresa, thanks for the comment, I can assure you that Roesti are so very simple to prepare, the most difficult part is flipping them over so they can brown on both sides - you do need to be a tad adventurous the first time but then it is only the "practice that makes perfect".

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  7. You get bonus points for making your own mustard! Mustard is one of those condiments that is so easy to make - and you can customize it your preferences - but I never think of doing it...
    Your chicken & spinach looks lovely, of course!

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    1. Cher, thanks so much, it is true that mustard is so very easy to prepare but we almost never think of it.

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  8. Interesting, I've never thought about making my own mustard before. Though, I have used mustard seed before in recipes. Your meal looks delicious. Seemed like spinach was the side of choice this week.

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    1. Rose, spinach was quite good with the creamy sauce and I am grateful that this is a vegetable side dish that the whole family enjoys.

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  9. Andrea, you are killing me here. Remembering that you have four darling little girls, a husband and that you create, photograph, write and Post several times a week on your very interesting Blog..........and, now you're making your own Moutarde de Dijon? You win. Yoiu're the Queen. And, I can understand why your family loves your Rösti. I do, as well. (Much tastier than baked Trader Joe french fries that have been sitting in the freezer for a few weeks!) Congratulations for putting well-made and nutritious meals on your family's table and for sharing it with us. FYI, I have 4 postcards from President Reagan's Library coming your way for your girls.

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    1. Mary, thank you so very much for your wonderful comment - I am really looking forward to your series on the Presidential Libraries and so are the girls. Thanks also for thinking about them - we will let you know when the postcards will arrive at our house.

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  10. I absolutely love this whole plate Andrea! Every single ingredient I love, especially the homemade mustard and the mini rosti. I´m pinning to make very soon! Have a wonderful weekend!

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    1. Thank you so much, Paula, the mini Roesti are always a sought after item at our dinner table...seriously the family loves them and they are easy and versatile so I enjoy making (and eating) them.

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  11. Love, LOVE the mini Rösti. What a great choice. And you beat me to it. After doing a post on mayonaisse last month I decided I would do one on mustard, ketchup, etc. I still will though as you have made it sound so appealing and, well, easy. Dorie would be so proud of you making your own for this dish!

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    1. Trevor, thank you so very much - I will have to take a look at your post on homemade mayo, doing a series on different condiments sounds wonderful .

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  12. I so, so enjoy your posts. It is testament to you that I can read about you actually making your own mustard and instead of feeling like the world's biggest underachiever- simply delight (and learn) in your adventures !! Kudos and thanks for wonderful journey. Your photos are gorgeous, your food I would bet my life on is off the charts delish and you make it seem so enjoyable. I am definitely going to play with the Rosti idea this week too !!! YUM.

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    1. Tricia, the Roesti is a sure hit every time, you must try these...they are so very easy to make and so ver versatile, I often top them with fried eggs, spinach, sautéed onions or grated Emmenthal cheese - delicious comfort style food that the whole family will enjoy.

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  13. Your meal looks phenomenal, Andrea! I should have made the spinach, too...and those rosti are still tempting me!!!

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    1. Liz, thanks so much, I had actually planned on a different side dish but I could not resist the fresh spinach and the new garlic.

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  14. We loved this one too and yours looks delicious!

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    1. Thanks so much Guyla, this was a nice recipe and one that the whole family could agree on which is always a very good thing.

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  15. I really wanted to make my own mustard for this (especially since I was almost out of what I had), but I didn't have time for it. Next time, I swear! I liked this dish - it was elegant and homey at the same time. Very pleasant. Your meal looks absolutely divine! So lovely!

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    1. Sara, thanks so much for the comment - the condiment was fun to make but you need to get those mustard seeds and they can be a bit difficult to find sometimes, especially the brown ones.

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  16. What an incredible looking meal…presented so beautifully!! Your chicken looks perfect along with the rosti and the very vibrant spinach!! I’m so impressed that you made your own mustard! Have a great weekend!

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    1. Kathy, thanks so much - mustard is actually quite easy to make and next time I will try a recipe for wholegrain beer mustard.

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  17. What a beautiful meal. I love how simple yet flavorful this dish seems. And homemade mustard? We've been wanting to try for ages. Thank you for sharing. A lovely post to go along with my latte and cinnamon raisin bread. I hope you have a beautiful week!

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    1. Monet, thanks so much - homemade mustard is fun to make and the kids certainly loved how the ingredients came together and actually turned out to be "real mustard".

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  18. That is quite inspirational! I'd love to visit an artisan mustard mill and make my own. How fun!!! Your dish looks amazing and I am sure your mustard was delicious!

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    1. Thanks, Renee, the artisan mustard mill will make an appearance in one of my April posts - we will be visiting this wonderful place during the Easter holidays.

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  19. What a lovely meal you prepared for your family...I know it had to be delicious with your homemade mustard. Thank you for your inspiring post, Andrea.

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    1. Karen, thanks so much for the comment - homemade mustard was something I had never tried before but it was such a fun experience that I will experiement with this basic recipe a bit and see what kind of "creations" I can come up with.

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  20. You always impress me Andrea! You made your own mustard?! WOW! I love mustard, and it was so fun to see how you make it. I should give it a try one day. I should be more challenger!

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    1. Nami, mustard is actually one of the easiest foods/condiments to prepare and it is nice to show the kids how mustard is made.

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  21. What a wonderful touch to this dish by making your own mustard! I would have never thought to make my own and I bet it is so delicious. This looks like just the perfect dinner.

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    1. Elaine, making my own mustard was just an idea to make this recipe a bit more fun to prepare but it turned out terrific an the kids loved the idea of making mustard.

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