Going through my previous recipes I notied I used a lot of different spices, herbs and articles available, if not general in supermarkets, then in asian stores. I have to admit I didn’t really think much of it, since these are the products I always have in my cupboards. It’s a little relic from the times when getting asian spices was easier to get than salt. And it just stayed that way.

But I do notice this could be a problem. Mostly when I visit my parents. Since my mother doesn’t use any “exotic” spices, it makes it a little bit difficult everytime I want to cooks her something I liked. Of course I got all the spices, but let’s say, my mother wasn’t amused when I tried to take away the precious cupboard space for my strange mixtures. I think that’s also one of the reasons why I’m banned from cooking at my parents.

But sure enough, I also cook meals more down to earth, that don’t require cononut milk, sambal oelek or hundreds of spices. The chicken in hot mustard sauce is one of those dishes. And I have to say, it’s simple, but definitely had that wow effect when I made it the first time.

Preparation time: 30min Cook time: 20min

Serves 4:

50g rasins

500g chicken breasts

1 leek

2 spring onions

50g butter

250g peas

250ml vegetable stock

4 tsp hot mustard

1 tsp curry powder

150g crème fraîche

salt and pepper

Soak the rasins in hot water for ca 20-30min. Cut the chicken and season with pepper. Wash the leek and spring onions and cut in rings.

Heat the butter in a pan and fry the spring onions in it. Add the chicken and fry together until the meat starts to get golden brown, then move aside.

Blanch the leek and peas in hot broth. Pour the liquid through a sieve, and move the vegetables aside.Drain the rasins, add them to the broth and bring to the boil. Dissolve the mustard with 2 tbsp of broth, add the curry powder and stir in the crème fraîche. Stir it all in the broth and let it cook for few minutes. Add the chicken and the vegetables to the sauce. Salt and pepper to taste.

I served it with potatoes, but I’m sure it will be equally delicious if you’d prefer to pair it with rice.