This chicken recipe was inspired by a fried rabbit recipe that I tried once.  I love rabbit but I did not like it fried.  The batter was super though and I decided that it would be good for chicken.  I use this delicious sharp honey mustard called Honeycup that comes in an octagon shaped jar.  It’s from Canada but I have found it pretty much everywhere.  The Brussel sprouts are made in the style of my old room-mate, dear friend and home cook extraordinaire Alex Endy.  Alex and his wife Katherine are the people who I call when I can’t remember how to cook something.  Even people who hate Brussel sprouts like them this way.

YAMS

Preheat the oven to 350. scrub a yam for each person.  Pierce them a few times with a fork.  Put them into the oven whole.  They should be baked by the time you make the chicken and Brussel sprouts.

HONEY MUSTARD FRIED CHICKEN

• 1 and 1/2 lbs boneless chicken thighs
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup honey mustard (plus extra for dipping)
• 3/4 cup flour (If you don’t eat wheat use bobs red mill all-purpose gluten-free flour mix)
• 1/2 Tablespoon salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp paprika
• 1/4 cup butter

1. Rinse and dry the chicken.  Cut each thigh into three or four pieces.
2. beat the egg and mustard together in a medium bowl.
3. Combine the flour, salt, pepper, and paprika in a shallow dish
4. In a large, shallow, heavy pan heat the butter over medium high heat.
5. Dip a piece of chicken in the egg mixture, dredge it in the flour and place it in the hot pan.  Repeat with each piece of chicken arranging them in a single layer.
6. When the pan is full, start flipping the chicken in the order that you placed it in the pan.  They should be browned on the first side.
7. When you have flipped them all,  cover the pan and lower the heat slightly.  Cook until the chicken is done.  You can prep the Brussel sprouts while your waiting.
8. This dish is chicken is good hot, room temperature or cold.  You can offer more of the mustard for dipping if you like.

ALEX’S BRUSSEL SPROUTS

• 1 or 2 pieces of bacon or prosciutto
• A few cloves of garlic, peeled and bruised
• Brussel sprouts, sliced in half, tough ends trimmed and then chopped
• salt
• pepper
• maple syrup
• worcestershire sauce
• about 1/4 cup home-made chicken stock
• lemon juice

1. Fry the bacon in a wide, heavy pan
2. remove the bacon from the oil and drain on paper towels
3. Add the cloves of garlic to the hot oil and cook for a couple of minute. Remove and discard the garlic cloves
4. Add the Brussel sprouts and some salt and pepper to the garlicky bacon grease and cook over high heat stirring occasionally, until they turn bright green
5. Add a dash of  worcestershire sauce, a dash of maple syrup and about 1/4 cup of chicken stock.  Continue cooking over high heat until the Brussel sprouts have wilted, the stock has cooked down and the maple syrup has started to carmalize the Brussel sprouts a bit.
6. Remove from the heat and squeeze the juice from half a lemon over the sprouts.  Adjust the seasoning before serving.