I’ll be the first to admit that “mustard-maple pan sauce” sounds gross. And quite frankly, the photo shown with the recipe looks like two slices of pizza gone seriously wrong. But looks and name aside, this recipe is now on my short list of favorite chicken dishes.
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4 Servings, 30 Minutes (30 minutes? Lies! Ok…so I may have been distracted by the TV. I guess if you really channeled all of your focus into cooking this, you could do it in 30 minutes.)
1 large egg
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard
1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter
He didn’t have a whisk either. A fork worked as a substitute:
Slimy chicken breasts coated in the egg/parsley/mustard mix. I can’t get enough parsley.
Panko-crusted chicken, pre-pan frying:
The finished chicken, plated with a side of basmati rice and the incredible sauce spooned over the chicken:
This chicken itself, with the oh so subtle parsley and mustard covered in panko is ok, but definitely not great. The sauce most certainly takes center stage. With 2 kinds of mustard, syrup and chicken broth, it all somehow works harmoniously together to create a perfectly flavorful sauce that’s not overwhelmingly mustardy, but still has that innate “kick” to it. File this under “fancy-but-easy weeknight dinner.”
The dishfulthinker’s tips:
- I had about 1.25 pounds of chicken, and I didn’t need a full cup of panko to fully coat all the pieces of chicken.
- Even after reducing the mustard/maple sauce down, it was still rather watery. Next time, I’m going to try it with about half as much chicken broth…or maybe more mustard?
- I didn’t have dijon mustard on hand. I substituted in spicy brown mustard instead. I can’t vouch for the taste when dijon mustard is used, but I can safely say your standard spicy brown mustard works just fine.
- I think a little sprig of parsley right on top of the chicken would add to the presentation in the finished photo above:)
- The chicken doesn’t cook as quickly as the recipe claims. I would guesstimate it’s more along the lines of 6-7 minutes per side. Panko bread crumbs cook burn fast. Chicken does not. Remember to use your stove fan and open any/all windows. If you’re anything like me, you’ll end up filling the apartment with smoke. Oops.
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I feel like this guy friend’s house that you were at is being shown in the wrong light. He is an excellent cook and only has supplied that HE needs. Not to mention…I would bet you are totally in love with him.
Regardless, this dish is amazing. I have been craving the sauce for days. I strongly recommend both the food and the chef.
Oh, Shannon… Why didn’t you ever cook like this for me?
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