sautéed chicken & radishes w/ mustard & tarragon

Longest post title yet? Possibly. Best new meal in a month or two? Definitely! Last night was a happy blend of known deliciousness (as evidenced by my oft-referenced dijon salmon w/ tarragon recipe) and new surprises. With the exception of a random salad here and there, I don't think I've really ever had a radish before tonight. I also don't think I've ever had sautéed spinach. Both are going to be new staples, along with the delicious chicken I had for the main course. Here's what you'll need:

• Skinless, boneless chicken breast
• Black pepper
• 2 1/2 tablespoons butter, divided
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 tablespoons shallot, minced
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
• 1/2 dozen radishes, halved lengthwise
• 1 bunch fresh spinach
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

Note before I start: this recipe was for 4 people, but the sauce really just fed me (or probably two people with normal people). Side dishes are portioned for one (regular people and myself alike).

Sprinkle the chicken with pepper (the broth is pretty salty, so you really don't need to add salt here unless you love salt like my mom - HI MOM!). Melt 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until browned and almost cooked through, about 80% done. Wrap the chicken up in tinfoil (to preserve juices) and place in the oven on 350 degrees while you prep the rest of the meal.

Add the shallots to the same skillet and stir over medium-high heat for about 1 minute. Add the broth to the skillet and bring to boil. Whisk in the mustard and chopped tarragon and boil again until sauce thickens enough to coat spoon lightly and is reduced to scant 1/2 cup, 5-6 minutes. Stir in 1/2 tablespoon butter and reduce to the lowest heat possible, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, melt the remaining 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in a heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the radishes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook these cut side down without stirring for the first 4-5 minutes, until radishes begin to brown. Continue to cook the radishes after that until crisp-tender, stirring occasionally, another 5-7 minutes longer.

In a large pot, sauté  the garlic in the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Place the spinach in the pot and toss often to coat. You should cook this until just after it wilts, which only takes a minute or two, so watch it close. Remove and plate.

Remove the chicken from the oven and arrange on a platter. Place the radishes around the chicken and spoon the sauce over the chicken and radishes and enjoy.

Bon chappétit!