A Southern Gallimaufry
I make a blond roux with butter, add enough whole milk to make a thin sauce, which I season with salt and white pepper. I then parboil waxy potatoes, peel and slice thinly, layer them in a glass or porcelain baking dish, spooning the sauce between the layers. This is baked in a medium-high oven (350 or so) until the potatoes are tender through and the top somewhat browned.
This recipe has tons of celebrity baggage—Ina Garten, Glamour magazine, even Harry and Meghan, for chrissakes—but without the hoopla, it’s just chicken in cream sauce.
You can use boneless breasts, bone-in breasts, skin or no, but I’m telling you, trimmed skin-on thighs are best. Dredge chicken pieces in seasoned flour and cook in a blend of olive and light vegetable oil until lightly browned. Set aside. Lower heat and add enough flour to make a light roux. Add a cup of chicken broth, a cup of heavy cream, and about a quarter cup of freshly grated hard dry cheese.
Reduce, and finish with about a half cup diced or slivered sun-dried tomatoes and about a tablespoon of good Italian herbal blend. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, add chicken, and turn to coat.
Back in the ’50s and ’60s, the country was overrun with “Continental-style” restaurants offering Naugahyde banquettes, white table cloths, and tony, bastardzied Euro/American menus. One of these retro-glam dishes was steak Diane, a wonderful dish for two.
Use 2 6 oz. slices of tender beef, season with a smidgen of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper, dust with flour, and sauté in butter with two finely-diced shallots and a small clove of garlic to taste. Set the meat aside. Working quickly, add a half stick butter to the pan, a hefty tablespoon of prepared mustard, and 2 cups sliced mushrooms. When cooked down, add heavy cream, reduce, and stir in enough stock to make a smooth sauce. Spoon over beef, and serve with a lot of love.
