French-style chicken with peaches

In what's increasingly becoming less of a summer vacation and more of a working summer, we wanted to find a relatively straightforward dish that also wouldn't require a lot of grocery shopping (if any) for a dinner we were holding for friends. I had spotted a recipe for chicken with peaches--French style, which is always a good way to catch my eye--and remembered that we still had some peaches leftover from my peach and blackberry pie-making excursion. Somewhat miraculously, we had exactly 3 peaches left (which is what the recipe called for) and all of the other necessary ingredients. Sold!

Recipe

adapted from Modern Classicsserves 41 tbsp olive oil3 skinless, boneless chicken breasts3 peaches, unpeeled1/3 cup finely chopped onion2 finely chopped garlic cloves1/2 cup white wine or dry vermouth2 tbsp Dijon mustard1/2 cup whipping creamCoat a large frying pan with oil and set over medium-high heat. Lightly sprinkle chicken with salt, then place in the pan. Cook, turning occasionally, until golden and springy, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from pan. Meanwhile, cut peaches in half and discard pits. Cut peaches into wedges. Using the original pan, reduce heat to medium and add wine, scraping up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add peaches, onion and garlic. Stir often, until peaches soften slightly and wine is reduced. Stir in mustard, then whipping cream. Return chicken and any juices to the pan and boil gently, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly and chicken is hot. Adjust seasoning as necessary.

Musings

A super tasty dish--essentially, as David put it, eating a savoury version of peaches and cream. The tanginess of the mustard paired nicely with the sweetness of the peaches. We served it with mashed potatoes and some delicious herbed mushrooms (and a spinach salad for the illusion of healthiness). David thought it could do with another tbsp of mustard, but he does note that he's a glutton, particularly for Dijon, so that is up to one's particular taste and fondness for mustard.