I came across this recipe in the newspaper – in the coupon section, actually. The deal was; you made this chicken with this sauce made with cherry jam, Worcestershire, and French’s Yellow Mustard, then you served it all over grits that you had topped (or worked in somehow) French’s canned onion rings (they’re not just for green bean casserole, anymore!) – which was the whole point of the coupon. I thought not.
Don’t get me wrong, it all looked like a fine idea for a dinner… I simply had other plans.
Waffles.
Cornmeal and Buttermilk Waffles, to be precise.
See, I’d never made waffles or grits at that point, but I had a waffler gathering dust in the pantry, and all the ingredients slouching about the larder not doing anything anyhow.
Waffles it was. Of course, with the waffles, I had no reason to use the canned onion rings, but I consoled myself that the nice folk at French’s wouldn’t mind too much, since I was using their lovely yellow mustard.
INGREDIENTS
•1 (8 oz) jar cherry preserves
– I used some semi-local spicy jam
•1/4 cup yellow mustard
•3 tbsp water
•1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
•4 (6 oz) boneless skinless chicken breasts
•1 tbsp olive oil
•Salt and pepper, to taste
•Fresh minced parsley
Combine the jam with the mustard, water and the Worcestershire sauce.
Make your waffles, keeping them warn in a low oven until the chicken is ready.
Season the chicken breasts with the salt and pepper, then heat the olive oil in a sauté pan on medium-high heat.
Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, and the breasts have ‘firmed up’ – they will feel, literally, more firm – almost like cooked chicken breasts.
Pour the sauce over the chicken, cover the pan, and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board and continue cooking the sauce to reduce and thicken it a bit.
Slice the chicken and return it to the pan with the reduced sauce.
Serve over the waffles with additional sauce and the fresh parsley.
I didn’t even miss the onion rings…