Dijon Cream Sauce with Baked Pork or Chicken

I'd like to finally share one of my all-time favorite recipes with you. I love this recipe because the sauce can be quickly pulled together right before serving and it makes for a comforting, flavorful meal. The easy, delicious marinade-turned-sauce works equally well for chicken or pork tenderloin and is just as good reheated the next day. I like to serve this with rice or mashed potatoes and a green vegetable.

Dijon Cream Sauce with Baked Pork or Chicken

Servings: 4

Active time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 40-50 for pork, 30-45 for chicken

*Meat needs to marinate for 2 hours before baking

4 chicken breasts or 1 large or 2 small pork tenderloins (about 1 ½ pounds/700 g)

¼ cup (75 g) coarse/wholegrain mustard (moutarde à l’ancienne in France)

1/3 cup (90 g) Dijon mustard

1/3 cup (80 ml) dry white wine or vermouth

½ cup (135 g) crème fraîche or sour cream (low fat is fine)

Salt and pepper to taste

Set the chicken or pork in a baking dish. Combine the two mustards and coat the meat evenly with the mixture. Cover and let marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator, then 1 hour at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350° F (175° C). Pour the white wine or vermouth in the baking dish around the mustard-covered meat. Bake on the center rack of your oven until the meat is cooked through; about 30-40 minutes for chicken, 40-50 for pork. Cooking times depend on the thickness of the meat so check with a meat thermometer or cut a slice in the meat to check for doneness.

Scrape the mustard off the meat into the baking dish and place the meat on a cutting board or serving platter. Cover with aluminum foil to keep warm.

Transfer the mustard and cooking juices from the baking dish into a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, add the crème fraîche and a dash of ground black pepper and lower heat to medium-low. Simmer for 5-10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Taste for seasoning and spoon some of the sauce over the meat when serving. Serve the rest of the sauce in a small bowl on the table so guests can add more if they choose.

And bon appétit!