French Cooking: Chicken with Moutarde de Dijon

Mustard is an ancient spice — one of the world’s most popular seasonings. The Chinese have grown mustard for more than 3,000 years and the Egyptians popped the seeds into their mouths when eating meat. It was the Romans who brought the seeds to France, sprinkling them along the roads where the plants flourished. At first, mustard was considered a medicinal plant rather than a culinary one. In the 6th century B.C., Greek scientist Pythagoras applied mustard to relieve scorpion stings. One hundred years later, Hippocrates used mustard in a variety of medicines. It was not until the 14th century that this condiment was officially called “mustard”. In 1382 the French Duke of Burgundy granted a coat of arms to the city of Dijon bearing the motto “Moult Me Tarde” (much awaits me). Without a doubt, the mustard capital of the world is Dijon (eastern France). Dijon gained its reputation as the home of the master mustard makers in the 14th century. Dijon mustard was considered the condiment of the kings. In 1777 the Dijon mustard firm was founded when Monsieur Grey developed a secret recipe for strong mustard made with white wine. When he formed a partnership with financier Monsieur Poupon — voilà! — Grey Poupon mustard was born! Today at 32 rue de la Liberté in Dijon, one can visit the Grey Poupon building.In Denmark and India it is thought that spreading mustard seeds around the exterior of the house will keep out the evil spirits. German lore recommends that a bride sew mustard seeds into the hem of her wedding gown to assure her dominance of her household. Some say the American baseball pitchers apply mustard to their fastballs in order to obtain strike-outs. Whether or not all any of the above is true, mustard does have an ability to make bland dishes more interesting. All of the parts of the mustard plant are edible, including the seeds, leaves and flowers. Mustard can be used with all types of meats, poultry and seafood. Dishes prepared with mustard are usually called “à la dijonnaise.” This week I am offering two chicken recipes prepared with Dijon mustard.Poulet à la dijonnaiseDijon ChickenFor 4 persons Cooking and preparation time :  40 minutes 1 whole chicken, cut into quarters 4 tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 shallots, finely chopped 3⁄4 tsp. Herbes de Provence (or Italian herbs) 1⁄4 tsp. cayenne pepper salt and pepper, to taste 1/2 cup fine bread crumbs Preheat the oven to broil. In a large bowl combine the Dijon mustard, shallots, herbs, cayenne, salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a pan and broil (skin side down) for 12 minutes. Turn chicken over and broil another 12 minutes. Remove chicken from the oven. Set the oven for 425°. Spoon the Dijon mixture over the chicken pieces. Top with the bread crumbs. Return to the oven and bake for 10 minutes until browned.Poulet à  la crème de moutardeChicken with a Creamy Mustard SauceFor 4 personsCooking and preparation time:  30 minutes 1 1/2 vegetable oil 1 1/2 butter 4 whole chicken breasts (skinned and boned) 2 tbsp. shallots, chopped 1 tbsp. garlic, chopped 2 tbsp. grain mustard 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 1 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup dry white wine 1/3 cup fresh chives, chopped  Heat the butter and oil in a skillet. Over medium high heat sauté the chicken breasts for 4 minutes on each side. Remove the breasts from the pan and keep warm. Add the garlic and shallots to the hot skillet and sauté for 3 minutes over medium heat. (Do not burn the garlic) Add both mustards and blend well. Deglaze the pan with the white wine (about three minutes)Add the cream and let the sauce thicken slightly. Return the chicken to the sauce and warm over low heat for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, place a breast on each plate and spoon the sauce over the chicken. Sprinkle with the fresh chives. Serve with noodles or rice.Et voilà!