Introduction to Bistro Cookery - Dear John Chicken
Dear John - Your mustard chicken was lovely!
And Teacher Paul's Poulet à la Moutarde wasn't too bad either 🙂
First joint your chicken according to the instructions in Street Food 3 - Southern Fried Chicken to produce 8 KFC-like pieces - 2 x drumsticks, 2 x thighs, 2 x breast supremes, and 2 x central breast portions.
You may, if you so desire, trim and French the bone ends. Although frankly it's a waste of effort when they will be covered in sauce.
Teacher Aaron also dropped in to spatchcock us a chicken. Also delicious!
And Teacher Paul's Poulet à la Moutarde wasn't too bad either 🙂
First joint your chicken according to the instructions in Street Food 3 - Southern Fried Chicken to produce 8 KFC-like pieces - 2 x drumsticks, 2 x thighs, 2 x breast supremes, and 2 x central breast portions.
You may, if you so desire, trim and French the bone ends. Although frankly it's a waste of effort when they will be covered in sauce.
Teacher Aaron also dropped in to spatchcock us a chicken. Also delicious!
menu
Chickens Galore
Dijon Chicken
Dijon Chicken
Quite the classic Bistro Dish.
Roast Spatchcocked Chicken
Not of the bistro. But a terrific barbecue party special.
Dijon Chicken
class fowl main
Creamy Dijon chicken, or Poulet à la Moutarde, is a classic bistro dish, though often made with chicken stock and not usually including mushrooms.
Poulet Gaston Gérard is a similar creamy mustard chicken dish from Dijon itself - the capital of Burgundy.
It was accidentally invented in 1930 by the eponymous politician's wife who spilled paprika into her Dijon chicken, attempted to cover it up with grated Comté, and rather liked the result.
So feel free to add paprika and cheese and bathe in the authenticity.
Poulet Gaston Gérard is a similar creamy mustard chicken dish from Dijon itself - the capital of Burgundy.
It was accidentally invented in 1930 by the eponymous politician's wife who spilled paprika into her Dijon chicken, attempted to cover it up with grated Comté, and rather liked the result.
So feel free to add paprika and cheese and bathe in the authenticity.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 chicken cut into 8 portions
- couple handfuls of mushrooms, halved, quartered, or sliced
- 2 banana shallots roughly sliced, or minced
- a few garlic cloves, crushed or chopped
- large glass white wine
- 1-2 cups double cream single or sour cream may also serve
- couple tablespoons Dijon mustard
- butter
- parsley
- tarragon
Joint the chicken into 8 pieces.
Wipe clean and halve or quarter the mushrooms or slice them if you prefer.
Peel and cut the shallots into chunks along a bias or chop finely if you prefer.
Peel and crush the garlic cloves or slice them if you prefer.
Season the chicken pieces.
Heat the butter in a large pan and gently fry the chicken until barely coloured (to preserve the whiteness of the dish) on all sides. Start with the skin side down.
Add the white wine and bubble until reduced by half.
Blend the mustard into the cream and add to almost cover the chicken. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened.
Chop the parsley. Strip the tarragon leaves from their stalks and chop them too.
Add the herbs to the chicken, check the seasoning, and serve.
Wipe clean and halve or quarter the mushrooms or slice them if you prefer.
Peel and cut the shallots into chunks along a bias or chop finely if you prefer.
Peel and crush the garlic cloves or slice them if you prefer.
Season the chicken pieces.
Heat the butter in a large pan and gently fry the chicken until barely coloured (to preserve the whiteness of the dish) on all sides. Start with the skin side down.
Add the white wine and bubble until reduced by half.
Blend the mustard into the cream and add to almost cover the chicken. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is slightly reduced and thickened.
Chop the parsley. Strip the tarragon leaves from their stalks and chop them too.
Add the herbs to the chicken, check the seasoning, and serve.
Lovely over mash, rice, pasta or just served with crusty bread!
Add a squeeze of lemon if you like.
Add a squeeze of lemon if you like.
Roast Spatchcock Chicken
class fowl main
The advantage of splitting and flattening a chicken like this is that it can nearly halve the cooking time, help it cook more evenly, and allow better marinade penetration. If that's your jive.
Serves a Beach Party
Ingredients
- 1 chicken
- seasonings
First kill your chicken 😂
Using heavy kitchen shears snip down both sides and remove the chicken's spine.
Roast in a 180°C convection oven for 50 minutes, or one hour if skipping the grilling part.
Using heavy kitchen shears snip down both sides and remove the chicken's spine.
You can also cut out the wishbone with a paring knife if you're planning on doing any fancy carving.
Open the remaining chicken like a butterfly and press flat.
Fun fact - spatchcocking is also known as butterflying.
Grease up the chicken with your favourite seasoning like Jerk
and get the skin nice and crispy by roasting it on a barbecue, grill, or pressed onto a griddle for 5-10 minutes.Roast in a 180°C convection oven for 50 minutes, or one hour if skipping the grilling part.
You can go hotter for less time if you like.
Serve with flatbreads, charred lime segments, a yoghurt dressing if you like, and tear into it with your bare hands.
Quick (relatively) and delicious!
You might also prefer to remove the chicken pieces at this stage, fry the other ingredients, then return the chicken skin-side up to the pan for finishing in the sauce.