Poulet Poupon - Easy

Here is a baked chicken recipe that proves healthy and delicious are not mutually exclusive.  I had originally named this dish Pretentious Chicken, because of the dijon mustard (remember those Grey Poupon ads?) and the sherry used.  But fun as that name was, it really wasn't very descriptive.   So I thought, as long as I was using a French-style mustard, I tried pairing poupon from the mustard brand with poulet, which is French for "chicken."   I really didn't know if poupon meant anything, so I fired up Google Translate and discovered it means "little baby"  (Little Baby Grey, or Little Grey Baby ... very descriptive.  The titles just make you think of mustard.  France is such an interesting place ... ballet dance steps are named after food, and food is named after infants ... but I digress ...)  Poulet Poupon ... Little Baby Chicken!  Now that's a name! Score!

Okay, so a breast isn't really a baby, but it's smaller than the whole chicken, and it's still a cute name.  I'm keeping it, even if it  doesn't describe the dish acurately.  Great chefs Home cooks need to break a rule now and then.

Poulet Poupon - Easy
makes approximately 6 servings

cooking spray
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (approx. 3-3 1/2 lbs.), pounded slightly
2 Tbl. dijon mustard
1 Tbl. dry sherry
1 tsp. brine from jar of capers
1 tsp.  olive oil
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
6 tsp. capers

Preheat oven to 350F.  Spray a large baking sheet with cooking spray.  Place chicken breasts on the baking sheet in a single layer.

A real chef would have removed those little
tenders to save for another meal.

Whisk together the mustard, sherry, caper brine and oil. Baste the breasts with the mustard mixture.

This is for effect ... use your fingers to sprinkle.

Lightly sprinkle the panko crumbs evenly over the breasts.  You want a very light coating.

Then dab with more of the mustard mixture.  Make sure all the crumbs are moistened.

Bake for 30 minutes on the center rack of the oven.  Remove baking sheet from oven.  Quickly sprinkle the capers evenly over the breasts, then return to oven.  Bake an additional 10 minutes, or until the coating is golden brown and, when cut with a knife, no pink remains.  If the chicken is done but the coating isn't browned to your liking, crank up the broiler, move the pan up to the top rack and let brown for 30 seconds to 1 minute, watching carefully so the crumbs don't burn.

The broccoli was camera shy.

Serve chicken with your favorite veggie or two.  To the left of the chicken are garlicky mashed potatoes.