Chicken Breast with Chive and Mustard Sauce

I can't explain why I got the urge for chicken with a creamy mustard sauce. In my memory I have never had such a dish. But, the urge came on and I found many recipes to try. The one I opted for was from Gourmet (2004) on Epicurious.com. I served this with garlic mashed potatoes and salad, although any starch would be a good side (you want something to soak up the velvety sauce). Rice, cous cous, risotto, or buttered noodles would all go well. Or even just some crusty bread.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
Four 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts, slightly pounded, and flattened
Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped shallots
1/2 cup brandy, apple brandy, pear brandy, or Kentucky bourbon
1/2 cup dry white wine 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken stock, or store-bought low sodium chicken broth (I only used 1 cup, which was plenty).
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

Directions

1. Heat the butter in a wide, heavy-bottomed sauté pan until it begins to melt and foam. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the breasts to the pan and brown them on one side, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn them over and cook them until well browned on the other side, about 6 more minutes. The chicken is done when it is firm to the touch and the juices run clear. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

2. Add the shallots to the same pan and sauté until softened but not browned, about 2 minutes. Lower the heat, move the pan away from the flame, lean away from it, and carefully pour in the brandy, taking care not to let it flame. (If it does flame, cover with a pot lid until the brandy cooks out.) Continuing to be mindful of potential flare-ups, return the pan to the stove and let the brandy evaporate over low heat.

3. Add the wine to the pan, raise the heat to high, and bring it to a boil. Whisk in the mustard and let reduce for 1 minute. Pour in the broth and cook for 2 to 3 minutes more.

4. Stir in the cream and bring just to a boil. Stir in the chives. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer gently until the stock has reduced and thickened slightly, 4 to 5 minutes.

5. To serve, put 1 chicken breast in the center of each of 4 plates and spoon some sauce over the top.

Notes from the kitchen:

• Although this is not a very vegetarian-friendly recipe, I'm sure it could somehow be adapted for tofu, which would soak the sauce right up. Yum.
• I used Jim Beam, since that's what I had on hand. Although the alcohol cooked off you could definitely still taste the whiskey a little. Next time I would like to try it with Brandy, just to see.
• I reduced the amount of chicken stock and think the liquid could even be reduced slightly more for a thicker sauce.