A Dinner Hit...and Miss

Not everything I make goes over with a "yum." Some things get a decided thumbs-down. But hey, it looks good on TV or gets good reviews, so I figured it would be a good choice.

Not always the case ;-)

Anyway, we had company for dinner a few nights ago and I had one Hit -- Emeril's Pan-Roasted Chicken Breasts with Chasseur Sauce (definitely good, very easy and the presentation is very pretty, so it's really good for entertaining). And one Miss--Nigella's Double Potato Mash.

With Emeril's recipe, I didn't use bone-in chicken breasts. For one, I just don't like bone-in anything. I have this thing about finding bones in my food (hey, we all have our quirks). So I tend to use boneless meat in my recipes. The boneless chicken breasts worked out just fine (and FYI, the technique of searing and then baking at 400 degrees works great with all kinds of meat...I did it with steaks later in the week and it worked out fab).

I had my homemade chicken stock for this recipe (not his recommended dark chicken stock). I think homemade chicken stock, as I have said before, makes all the difference in the world. I also used a white wine I would drink, not one of those icky ones you just throw into a recipe because you wouldn't serve it to your worst enemy.

My daughter, who is not a big meat eater (AT ALL), had FIVE helpings of this chicken. I don't think she's eaten that much meat in her entire life, LOL. So this was a definite hit.

But the Double Mash Potatoes...well, those were enjoyed by two of the five people at the table. The rest weren't wild about them, diehard mashed potato fans that they are.

So here I was, stuck with a ton of leftover mashed potatoes. I had to figure out something to do with them. I wasn't going to throw them away, so I ended up (a couple days later), mixing them with a cup or a cup and a half of flour, then forming them into little pancakes and frying them in a little butter. Then I served the sweet potato pancakes (as I called them :-) with sour cream with diced scallions mixed into it.

The potato pancakes -- those WERE a hit. Everyone loved those, and the sour cream/scallion topping. So I know what to do with leftover sweet potatoes now :-)

Shirley