Grilled Chicken with Mustard Cream Sauce

My favorite thing to eat at restaurants here is usually what is termed as "chicken steak" with some sort of cream sauce termed as originating from a foreign country ranging from Morocco, Egypt, Spain or even Sicily. Real food connoisseurs find this a bit scandalizing because well steak is steak and there's no such thing as a 'chicken' steak; what is termed as chicken steak is actually a grilled breast fillet. However, please note there is a cut of beef which is known as chicken steak; its taken from the top of the shoulder of the animal and is considered the second most tender cut of meat.Who knew? Food terminology is just confusing at times.

Ignoring how the dish is named, restaurants in Pakistan have been pretty innovative in serving up fusion food with a combination of Western style of cooking combined with Eastern spices so that the food is not too bland.  Of course, some places do a really great and are pretty popular, and then there are ideas like the Chapli Kebab Pizza and the Masala Pizza which are pretty much a miss.

So this time, I wanted to try something like that at home, grilled chicken with some sort of sauce, and then served with 2-3 sides; went through a lot of recipes and finally decided on a major adaption of grilled chicken with mustard cream sauce from the Pioneer Woman. Best thing about this recipe, other than the fabulous taste was that since the fillets were added back into the sauce in the end, they remained warm for serving. Otherwise I never like grilling chicken, since I have to stand by the stove doing the grilling so that it gets to the table hot.

Ingredients:

4 whole boneless chicken breasts

For marinade: Salt & Pepper & Minced Garlic 

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp butter

4 cloves garlic, chopped or minced

1 cup chicken stock

1.5 tbsp Horseradish Mustard (Dijon mustard should work as well, but I didn't have it at home)

1/2 tbsp yellow mustard

1/2 cup cream

1/8 - 1/4 cup milk (Or chicken stock)

Red Chili Flakes - 1/2 tsp 

Salt & Pepper, to taste (1/2 tsp of each)

Method

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise so that you have eight smaller and thinner chicken cutlets. Rub a bit of garlic, salt & pepper both sides and keep aside for 10 minutes.

Heat oil and butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook cutlets on both sides until nice and golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the skillet and keep on a plate.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the garlic to the pan and saute it for a minute, stirring to make sure it won't burn. Next pour in the chicken stock and let it cook for a few minutes till it starts bubbling.Add the two types of mustards and stir to make sure its combined properly then pour in the cream. 

Stir in 2-3 tbsp of milk (or chicken stock), adding more if the sauce seems too thick. Add salt, pepper and red chili flakes. Taste sauce and adjust spices if required. Add chicken breasts (along with the leftover juice) back to the pan, coating them with the sauce. Allow sauce to cook for another few minutes, shaking the pan if needed to move things around.

Make sure the chicken breasts are warmed through, then take them out and serve pouring the sauce over them. 

Serve them with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes or oven baked wedges (recipe coming soon)