Recipes for Chicken Dijon and Gravad Lax Remain Reader Favorites

Dear SOS: Would you please print a recipe for chicken Dijon? I haven’t been able to find one.

--MARY

Dear Mary: We have dozens of them, and here is one from the Century Plaza using chicken breasts.

CENTURY PLAZA CHICKEN DIJON

6 chicken breast halves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup butter, clarified

1 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon

1 small bay leaf

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Dash red pepper

1 tablespoon minced chives

Sprinkle chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Dust with flour. Heat clarified butter in skillet, and add chicken breasts. Saute until breasts are golden brown on both sides, about 15 minutes.

Add wine and cook, scraping brown bits from pan until liquid is reduced by 1/3. Add chicken stock, tarragon and bay leaf and simmer 10 minutes until chicken is tender. Transfer chicken breasts to heated platter and keep warm.

Reduce liquid by 1/3 and discard bay leaf. Blend egg yolks with sour cream and mustard. Add red pepper. Stir sour cream mixture into liquid in pan using whisk and cook, stirring constantly, until thickened. Do not boil. Spoon sauce over chicken and sprinkle with chives. Makes 6 servings.

Note: To clarify butter, heat until milky residue rises to surface. Skim off milky residue, or continue to cook without burning, until residue evaporates and butter is somewhat clear.

Dear SOS: Many shops now sell flavored frozen yogurt as a low-calorie alternative to ice cream. I’d like to make some in my ice cream maker. Are there instructions?

--A.W.T.

Dear A.W.T.: This is one of many such recipes using the traditional ice cream maker. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions, using the following ingredients.

SOFT HOME-STYLE FROZEN YOGURT

1 pint low fat-milk yogurt

6 tablespoons fruit preserves, about (quantity depends on type of preserves used)

1/4 cup light corn syrup

Combine yogurt, preserves and corn syrup. Mix thoroughly. Chill 2 to 3 hours. Freeze in ice cream maker according to directions given for ice cream. Makes 3 cups.

Dear SOS: For years I have enjoyed gravad lax at Scandia. Now I make it at home. However, when they serve it, the skin of the salmon is crisp. Mine is uncooked and soggy. Can you find out what they do?

--GERALDINE

Dear Geraldine: Yes, we too were impressed with crisp skin served over the gravad lax at Scandia, so we asked some time back. The salmon skin is cut into narrow strips and dropped into very hot deep oil to cook until crisp. A piece of crisped skin is served with each serving of gravad lax.

SCANDIA’S GRAVAD LAX WITH CRISPY SKIN

1 (2-pound) piece salmon

3 tablespoons salt

3 tablespoons sugar

1 tablespoon crushed peppercorns

1/2 bunch dill

Mustard Dill Sauce

Crisp Skin

Thaw salmon, if frozen. Cut salmon in half lengthwise. Remove bones. Combine salt, sugar and peppercorns. Rub half spice mixture over 1 salmon half and place fish, skin-side down, in baking dish. Spread dill over Rub other half of salmon with remaining spice mixture and place, skin side up, on first salmon half. Cover with foil. Place plate on top of fish and weight on top of plate.

Refrigerate 48 hours. Turn fish over every 12 hours, separating fillets slightly to baste with pan liquid. When ready to serve, scrape away dill and seasonings. Place fillets, skin side down, on cutting board. Cut salmon diagonally in thin slices away from skin. Serve cold with Mustard Dill Sauce and few pieces of Crisp Skin. Makes 12 to 16 appetizer servings.

Mustard Dill Sauce

1/4 cup Dijon-style mustard

3 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 teaspoon dry mustard

1/3 cup oil

3 tablespoons chopped dill

Combine mustard, sugar, vinegar and dry mustard. Slowly beat in oil until thick. Stir in dill. Chill. Makes 3/4 cup.

Crisp Skin

After slicing salmon flesh, reserve skin. Cut into narrow strips and cook in very hot deep oil until crisp.

Only recipes of general interest will be printed. We are unable to answer all requests. Please include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. Send your letter with self-addressed, stamped envelope to Culinary SOS, Food Section, The Times, Times Mirror Square, Los Angeles 90053.