Chicken. Sans the Boring.

We all know chicken breasts can be boring. But alas, those of us on budgets occasionally must buy them.

However, I have found a marvelous way to eliminate the boringness. It's called "Mustard Tarragon Sauce." And it's divine.

And here we have some lovely butter-toasted bread, some sauteed chicken with That Sauce, and some fresh herbed salad. (Tangent: Fresh dill + lettuce is awesome. For the sake of your taste buds, please go buy some fresh dill. I don't know how I've eaten lettuce without it. It adds such a tasty punch.)

My apologies for the unfocused picture. To remedy my lack of a real camera, I've applied for a grant called "I'm a Blogger and I Need a Real Camera." I'm sure thousands of dollars will be coming my way shortly.

In the meantime, back to The Sauce.

A few years ago after I had just graduated college and was living on my own, I undertook the fine art of Learning How to Feed Myself. Parts of it were awesome: I learned how to make this sauce. (Other parts of it weren't: at one point, I made a mustard-flavored braised chicken dish once that was, for lack of a better word, nasty.)

When I found The Sauce recipe, I was thrilled. I had finally found something that was simple to make, tasted awesome, and looked gourmet. I made it for my then-boyfriend (I married him, btw) and felt like a chef. It was fabulous. And so, I'm sharing the recipe (and an accompanying meal) with you today because I am in favor of sharing the fabulousness.

The original recipe is from Martha Stewart. (She calls it Mustard-Cream Sauce, I call it Mustard Tarragon Sauce. TomatO, ToMATo.) It has a grand total of four ingredients: chicken broth or white wine, Dijon mustard, cream, and dried tarragon.

Apparently, I can't take focused pictures. Clearly, I was too excited about The Sauce. 

And here is the part where I have to confess I am a stickler about using the real, brand-name Dijon mustard,  Grey Poupon. You all know that I am all for making substitutions/alterations when possible. But when it comes to Dijon mustard, don't substitute. Because Grey Poupon is magical. And your sauce will not taste the same if you use off-brand Dijon mustard. And I shall shed a tear for you from afar because your sauce will not be awesome. End stickler rant.

The Sauce is velvety, with a slight mustard tang with very light herbal notes in the background. (I think my very limited experience with wine tasting has had an effect on me. Apologies. Unless you don't mind, in which case, just kidding.) The Sauce goes incredibly well with sauteed chicken and fish.

Serve with fresh vegetables (green beans, salad, Brussel Sprouts (no, really) etc.). A fresh piece of bread or
some mashed potatoes would be a nice addition, also.

Here's the recipe, direct from Madame Martha Stewart:

• 1/4 cup dry white wine, or chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon dried tarragon (or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh)

Pour wine into hot skillet; cook, stirring, until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Whisk in cream, mustard, and
tarragon. Cook, whisking, until thickened, about 2 minutes.