A question about a recipe: Chicken with Creamy Dijon Mustard Sauce

Another alternative to inexpensive brandy is to buy one of those airline size mini-bottles. I know you can buy Hennessey in that size it will probably cost you about $3.00. They're sold behind the counter at liquor stores. Bev Mo also carries them.

So thanks to everyone's helpful advice, I went and bought a bottle of brandy today. I'm really excited to try this recipe for dinner tomorrow night.

If you have the time, space and inclination, you can always buy a 125ml - 375ml bottle of brandy/cognac at a liquor store - as it is nice to have on hand as others have said. Alternatively, I second HLA's suggestion of apple juice or chicken stock - the main idea is getting the browned bits for the extra flavour.

Other suggestions: white wine, white vermouth or verjus (non-alcoholic pressings from white wine grapes).

I agree that a bottle of brandy is a good thing to have in a kitchen. And I think it's a super addition to this recipe. But I also think it will be quite delicious if you just leave it out.

Cognac is to brandy as Champagne is to sparkling wine. In some recipes, wine and spirits serve the purpose of dissolving or carrying alcohol-soluble flavors. Not here, however, so you're free to leave either out if you'd prefer (you can simply deglaze with stock). That said, not only would that change the dish considerably, a bottle of inexpensive brandy is a very versatile thing to have at hand, especially for times when the alcohol is synergistic (e.g. tomato sauces).

I'd either scrap it or add a bit extra chicken broth or a couple of tablespoons apple juice if you're averse to buying some brandy for cooking.

You could use brandy