Feelin' Fancy

Every now and then a girl just needs to feel fancy, ya’know? I definitely get that way in the kitchen. At times, I need to cast off the gravy and the rice and the heavy down-home local cuisine and doll things up a little bit. And, if I can set it on fire...well...bonus for me.

A little over a month ago, I stumbled on a recipe for Chicken Diane. It involved alcohol and flames, and I was drawn in like a moth. Ha! Get it? Oh, never mind. My point is I knew I had to try it. I started poking around through cookbooks and on the internet to see where this dish came from. No, I don’t know why I do that. No, I don’t know why I can’t just cook the food and leave books and studying out of it. I guess I like to know where food comes from—and not just the agricultural/production side of things. I came across an interesting account on the origins of Steak Diane. Chicken Diane is a poultrilized version of Steak Diane, which I’ve actually never had.

The recipe I used is a melding of features I liked from several Chicken Diane and Steak Diane recipes. My family and I enjoyed this dish very much. It was easy, but seemed like something we’d eat at a nice restaurant. Oh, and setting the pan on fire sure made me feel fancy! And super bad-ass.

Linking with:
Food On Friday: Mustard @ Carole's Chatter

Chicken Diane
from Ms. enPlace

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), pounded flat or cut into strips
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
2 t Dijon mustard
4 T onion, minced
2 T butter
2 T lemon juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce
¼ c chicken stock or broth
2 T chopped fresh chives or green onion
2 T Brandy
2 T minced fresh parsley (optional garnish)

Pound the chicken breasts or cut into strips to allow for faster cooking. Season chicken with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 T butter and 2 T olive oil in a heavy skillet. Add mustard and onion. Sauté over medium heat for a few minutes. Add chicken and cook until done, turning as needed. When chicken is cooked completely, remove to a plate and keep warm.

Add 2 T butter, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock, and chives or green onion to pan drippings. Cook for a few minutes. Add brandy and bring just to a boil, and flambé. If you don’t want to flambé, boil the sauce for a couple of minutes. Drizzle sauce over chicken, sprinkle parsley on top (optional), and serve.

Here’s what you’ll need. The chicken can either be left whole and pounded flat (possibly a nicer presentation) or cut into strips (less mess). Either way, the chicken will cook quickly.
I like to cut the chicken into strips. I hate pounding chicken.Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Add mustard and sauté onions.Add chicken and sauté until cooked throughout. Remove chicken and keep warmBuild the sauce by adding more butter, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, chicken stock (or broth), and green onion. Scrape any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.
Be careful. Remove pan from flame before adding alcohol. Don’t do this near kitchen curtains. Don’t stand over the pan. Don't be stupid. Add Brandy, bring to a boil, and light.

I’ve tried this a couple of ways, and think the chicken has more flavor if it is added to the pan before adding the Brandy.Serve chicken with sauce spooned over the top. Garnish with additional green onion or chives.