Poulet Gaston Gerard

This classic Burgundian dish was created in 1930 by the wife of the Mayor of Dijon, Madame Gaston Gérard. She prepared it for Maurice Edmond Sailland, a celebrated food writer who was visiting at the time. Although there are numerous variations on the recipe, Dijon mustard is a key ingredient in all of them. The chicken (preferably of the Bresse variety) is sautéed in butter or oil, then combined with a sauce consisting of cooking juices, white Burgundy wine, heavy cream, grated cheese, and Dijon mustard. The dish should taste the best when paired with a glass of white wine on the side. It is believed that Madame Gaston Gérard accidentally dropped a jar of mustard into the pan, and added all of the other ingredients in it to mask the mustard flavor. However, the concoction pleased Sailland, and the rest is history.