Gaston Gérard chicken (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.