Chicken Diane

Brown the chicken - Pat the chicken breasts dry, then season on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken into a cold 10 to 12-inch stainless steel skillet, pressing down to ensure as much of the chicken breast is in contact with the pan as possible. Turn the heat to medium-high. Cook until the chicken has released from the pan and is browned on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Flip the chicken breasts to the other side. Cook on the second side until browned, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts to a plate and set aside.

Make the sauce - Add the Cognac to the pan and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the butter to the pan and stir into what remains of the Cognac. As soon as it has melted, add the shallots and mushrooms, if using. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are well coated and the shallots have become slightly transparent, about 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and mustard and stir to coat the vegetables. Add the broth and stir to incorporate. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the heavy cream.

Cook the chicken in the sauce - Return the chicken breasts to the pan. Cook in the sauce over medium heat, flipping halfway, until the breasts give resistance when you push on them and register 165°F on an instant-read thermometer, about 15 minutes. If the sauce starts to thicken too much and stick to the pan, add a splash of chicken stock to loosen it up.

Finish and serve - Remove the pan from the heat. Toss in half of the herbs, if using, and taste the sauce, adding salt and pepper as needed. Plate the chicken and pour the sauce over each of the chicken breasts. Garnish with the rest of the herbs, if desired, and serve. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave 30 seconds at a time until heated through.