Marquette here! I've got a tasty tasty pin for you today. Well, the original looks tasty, the Pinstrosity, not so much. I LOVE me a good simple dinner recipe, and this one purports to be just that, but Alex had a bit of trouble with it.
The Original Pin
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| http://www.wittyinthecity.com/2011/08/man-pleasing-chicken/ |
There it is...Man Pleasing Chicken, or as the original author suggests, “So Good it Can’t Be Described, Explosion on Your Taste Buds Chicken.” And I'm not gonna lie, that looks dang good. Seriously, I think I'm going to try making this for dinner tonight.
The Pinstrosity
Alex's “So Bad it Can’t Be Described, Explosion in your Oven Chicken.” Yikes.
She explained to us that "Other than the fact that I am the owner of the world's most unreliable oven (I set it to medium, which it took to mean 'hotter than the sun'), the main problem was that I didn't realize that there was a difference between Dijon and wholegrain mustard. The results were an almost entirely inedible meal and an uncleanable casserole dish."
So yes...way too hot of an oven would definitely cause problems. There's not anything much we can suggest for that one, other than put an oven thermometer in there and when Medium means Surface of the Sun, try a different setting. Having had an unreliable oven once though, I do know that won't even solve the issue all the time, especially when the oven changes from surface of the sun to polar ice cap all by itself.
But the wholegrain mustard. That there probably was part of the problem. Wholegrain mustard is the whole seed (not ground up) in oil/vinegar/wine/water/whatever liquid is used in that particular mustard. It has a different taste and texture, which would have been good in a rub, dressing, or marinade for this chicken, but it wasn't quite the right thing for this recipe. You definitely need to use prepared mustard (which is the mustard seed all ground up and in the liquid, the mustard that most of us are used to that comes in a squeeze bottle-or a jar I guess). The liquid form will change the taste and texture quite a bit. And, dijon mustard has it's own specific taste to it as well, which you won't get from wholegrain mustard.
When I have disasters like this and the dishes are un-cleanable right away, I try (I say try because often I am lazy and I don't do this, but it would help if I did this each time, and it's not really all that hard) to fill the dish with hot water and I add quite a bit of dish soap. I scrub the sides for just a few seconds and then I set the dish in the sun (outside if the weather permits) and let it soak all day. Sometimes if the pan is really bad you'll have to go at it with one of those metal scrubbies, but usually the sun soak helps.
I'll have to let you know how this turns out for me tonight. I'll put a little addendum on this to let you know!
**8-20-2012: Shortly after posting this the hubby got sick for a week (sick where you don't want to eat anything but popice sick), followed shortly by me getting sick for a week and then a week of vacation...so I didn't try this recipe until just recently. The taste? Amazing. I give this 5 thumbs up (I don't know where all the thumbs come from, but there you go). The pan was a booger to clean, but the chicken was awesome. We're making this again soon.**
I made this using dijon mustard following the direction to a T. I thought it was tasty unfortunately no one else in my family did. It wasn't so man pleasing as I have 2 boys and a husband.
ReplyDeleteI made it as directed as well, and got the same results. I thought it was good, but my husband did not. He thought it was too mustardy. Maybe they should change the name!!
DeleteI make this all the time and use equal parts of regular mustard and maple syrup. We all (1 hubby & 4 kids) can't get enough of it!
DeleteI have done this to a casserole dish I could put on the stove to boil. I'd let it soak with hot water, vinegar and efferdent. Scrub, repeat until the larger chunks are off. Then I use the glasstop stove cleaner and a blade, careful not to etch the glass (a scratch too deep can cause the dish to crack the next time you use it). It does take some time and elbow grease but your dish will look better than ever. Oh, and ketchup works wonders on copper bottomed pans.
ReplyDeleteI have made this recipe a few times now, with great success, and once used wholegrain mustard when that was all I had available. It gave a slightly different flavour and texture to the sauce, but it did not turn out anything like this! I suspect the main problem was the oven temperature/cooking time. I have also found that lining the pan with foil when making these types of recipes, while not the eco-friendliest option, makes clean up much more manageable. Everyone who has tried this dish has loved it!
ReplyDeletehot water and vinegar will take it right off. Let it soak with the vinegar either a few hours or overnight.
ReplyDeleteWe've loved this in the oven - but it's spectacularly awful on the grill.
ReplyDeleteI like to use water and baking soda. I don't measure the amounts, just a good amount of baking soda. Then I heat it on the oven (though I guess if it is a casserole dish you could heat it in the oven) for a while (I don't know... 10-15 min). It helps loosen the food. Then I scrub. Sometimes I have to repeat the cycle a few times, but it gets stuff clean.
ReplyDeleteSoak some baking soda/ bicarbonate soda in the pot too. Even pop water and bicarbonate in the pot then boil on stovetop a while. Voila!
ReplyDeleteI followed the recipe exactly how it was written. My chicken did not get that tantalizing carmelized look. It just looked yellow/brown and the dijon mustard took over the flavor. I thought it tasted ok, but my family did not like it at all.
ReplyDeleteI made this just as the recipe says, and my entire family LOVED it...there wasn't a bit of chicken left!! It has a permanent place in my "keeper" file!
ReplyDeleteI made this a ouple of months ago - it looked just fine, but I didn't are for it at all. My husband thought it was okay, but not a make-again.
ReplyDeleteMade it for the hubs and it was awesome. He was pleased. Bahahaha
ReplyDeleteFor cleaning burned on mess without scrubbing and scratching your dish, fill the pan with water, drop in a used dryer sheet, and let it soak overnight. In the morning, the mess will wipe right off.
ReplyDeleteI keep a box of dryer sheets just for this purpose! Although, I've never used a used dryer sheet - I put in new ones.
DeleteWe've made this a few times now, including for Mother's Day because I wanted to spend more time on appetizers and dessert and less on dinner. We love it, but you do have to follow the directions exactly, inclduding the exact ingredients and cooking temp and time. Different cooking methods will not work because there is some kind of chemical reaction going on there - if you taste teste the sauce before cooking your tongue will burn out of your head!
ReplyDeleteI have made this several times with complete success. I have even used whole grain mustard (which I prefer) This is a wonderful and very simple chicken dish so I am not sure how this turned out so wrong for you. I have been cooking for many years, but you gotta really work at messing this one up!
ReplyDeleteI've made this several times using whole grain, Dijon and once in a pinch Bettman's mustard.Even have made it with chicken leg quarters and turkey thighs in the oven, Dutch oven and on the grill. Other than changes in texture or taste, it has always come out tasty and well liked by my hubby and myself. This is pretty easy to make so not sure how it could have turned out so wrong. I'm thinking maybe it is the oven's fault ...
ReplyDeletei have made this chicken many times and it is delicious!! i make more of the sauce so the chicken is covered more and definitely need to baste the chicken half way through and it is absolutely delicious!
ReplyDeleteI've made this and it was fabulous! I actually used honey mustard instead of dijon and it was wonderful! I hope the girl who had the disaster tries again!
ReplyDeleteI've made this before and it was delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteI made this a month ago and we all loved it. Definitely will make again!
ReplyDeleteI've also made this. It turned out wonderful, although I did not have the fresh herbs so I used dried. I would definitely make it again.
ReplyDeleteI've made this twice now. Once with chicken and once with salmon. I used whole grain mustard both times and sprinkled cilantro on top instead of rosemary. For the fish I just kind of eye-balled the measurements, because I was only making it for my son and I. It turned out great both times. Very yummy. It was man-pleasing at my house because both my husband and son (2 1/2 yrs old) like it.
ReplyDeleteI have used oven-cleaner spray (like Easy-Off) to clean burned-on bits off of pans and dishes, and it usually works like a charm. Just follow the directions on the can, then run the pan through the dishwasher or hand-wash to get rid of the Easy-Off.
ReplyDeleteI was so looking forward to making this after seeing all the comments on pinterest about this meal. I made this a few months ago for the first time and it had a horrible smell to it. The boyfriend and I tried eating it, but it just tasted awful. Even the dog didn't want to eat it. . A friend made it also, and her dish looked like the one in the picture. She couldn't ever get the burnt remains out of her dish and ended up trashing it. I have no idea where both of us went wrong, but the little bit that I have made me so ill. Maybe I will give it another go in time.
ReplyDeleteI make this recipe all the time! It always turns out delicious!!!
ReplyDeleteOK, I tried to make this earlier this week and it was a total failure! I consider myself a good cook, but I would not let my family eat this! Maybe it was more that I did not like it? But.... the sauce separated and became lumpy while baking. so sad.....
ReplyDeleteOkay, I didn't mess up cooking mine, but this recipe just was not special. I am a good cook, so I didn't mess it up. It just wasn't that great. So you didn't miss anything, really, by blowing yours up. : )
ReplyDeleteWhen I mess up a casserole dish, I use dishwasher detergent and hot water. Mix about a half cup of dishwasher detergent with enough hot water to cover the burnt on food, then let it set for a couple of hours...should come off fairly easy.
ReplyDeleteWe love this recipe at our house--and I always forget until I'm scrubbing the heck out of my pan after the fact that the original recipe does say to line the pan with foil.
ReplyDeleteI made this last night. No one in my family liked the flavor. I guess it's one of those where you either love it or you hate it. I was so disappointed.
ReplyDeleteI made it and ate it, but I'm not making it ever again.
ReplyDeleteMy husband loves this recipe! I use whole grain mustard because that is all I have in the house.
ReplyDeleteMade this and the boyfriend and I managed to eat it, but I will definitely not make this again. It was wayyy to potent on the mustard end. It didn't explode and the chicken really was very tender, but everyone that just keeps going on and on about it must a)love their house smelling like mustard and vinegar for days and b)have no tastebuds left as it is just chicken bathed in mustardy grossness.
ReplyDeleteI make this all the time. I put Aluminum foil in the glass dish first - and I don't even have to clean the darn pan.
ReplyDeleteI do tweek the mustard/honey/vinegar mixture to taste though. Probably a litter heavier on the honey than the recipe calls for, and I make 2X the liquid (because I love sauce...)
I make this all the time and it is incredible.....need to follow the directions though. Not sure where the problem lies with everyone who hates it.
ReplyDeleteas for the Casserole dish, if it's corningware - try dissolving a polydent (I'm not joking) tablet full of HOT water in the dish and let it soak.... :)
ReplyDeleteI tried this chicken in the crock pot....I looked a lot like that and the mustard tasted disgusting in it!
ReplyDeleteSpray your dish with vegetable spray before adding the chicken, easy cleanup.
ReplyDeleteI tried this recipe. I followed it with the exception of making more sauce than I needed for the amount of chicken I had. The chicken turned out very dry and the flavor of the sauce was just gross. And it didn't get crispy either. Just a thick, mustardy skin on top.
ReplyDeleteI love this recipe! It's made it into my arsenal of go-to's. The first time I used a Pyrex and it was definitely a pain to clean. I've learned to use disposable foil pans, so I can just toss it after each use.
ReplyDelete