The Vintage Julia Child Chicken Recipe That Raised A Few Eyebrows

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With time comes wisdom. That's true in a lot of areas of life and society but very notably apparent in the realm of food safety and preparation. As science advances, so does our understanding of the bacteria present in the foods we eat, the good, the bad, and the salmonella-causing. And while food safety standards are quite conservative overall, Julia Child's vintage chicken recipe for suprêmes de volaille aux champignons (chicken breasts in a mushroom sauce), which appeared in "Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol. 1," published back in 1961, definitely tests those thresholds. 

Now, don't get us wrong. We have nothing but love and respect for Child, who was often full of pro cooking advice and taught everyday home cooks how to tackle French cooking, including her second-to-none roast chicken recipe. But according to her version of this dish, which involves chicken breasts smothered in a creamy sauce with sauteed mushrooms and shallots, you're only supposed to cook the chicken for six minutes. Six! 

She does suggest that if the chicken still feels soft after those six minutes, you should return it to the oven for a couple more minutes, but even so, that is simply not enough time to cook whole chicken breasts to the USDA standard of an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.

As others have tried the recipe, they've found that it actually takes about 15 to 20 minutes of cooking time to fully heat your chicken, of course depending on the size and thickness of the pieces. The best way to tell that your chicken is ready is to use a meat thermometer. It's totally worth it to have one in your kitchen; they're fairly cheap and the peace of mind they provide is valuable. This Alpha Grillers digital thermometer on Amazon is under $13. But if you don't have a meat thermometer, make sure the thickest part of the chicken breast has no pink in the middle and juices that run clear.

Other than the inaccurate chicken cooking time, people seem to really like Child's recipe. It's decadent and rich but homey and simple at the same time. One person who made it wrote, "This recipe turns out PERFECT every time I have made it." Another wrote, "First time making this recipe and it was great! The chicken was tender, the flavor was spot on and the sauce with the mushrooms was so tasty!"