Jamie's Mustard Chicken with Dauphinoise potatoes

The OH has hotfooted it out of here for a week which means that in real terms I can eat exactly what I want. The problem is that my cooking mojo seems to have gone off to Derbyshire with him! I have been trying to make this chicken dish for the last week but things, mainly school-related, keep getting in the way.

Having made it before, I can report that it is easy, tasty but definitely an Olympic event trying to complete it in 30 minutes. (And I didn't do the greens or the affogato). But hey, Jamie is a youngish man and I am an old granny . . . !

I didn't tweak the recipe at all and this time it wasn't quite as mustardy as I would have liked. One of my offspring thought it was a bit bland. Well there you go, last time I made it I nearly had my head blown off.

Jamie's way of cooking chicken breasts is easy, fuss-free and thorough. I like it! Am not really sure though that if you had even sized chicken breasts you would need to chop them into bite-sized pieces. Mine were very lopsided (much like my own) and it was a necessity.

It did all look a bit insipid once chopped up as you can see. I think next time I would stir in more wholegrain mustard than he suggests as well as coating the breasts a little more thoroughly.

The Dauphinoise was a bit bland too. My fault. I couldn't be bothered to start it off in a pan and shoved the whole lot in the oven. It definitely needed more time and it needed more salt. I could have forgotten to put salt in for all I know.

So. Have made the recipe for the dreaded "second time" which, in my experience, is usually a bit doomed. But I think it will become a staple in this house because everybody enjoyed it so much first-time round.

Off to Jamie's Italian for my Official Birthday lunch tomorrow. Can't wait!