When cooler weather comes, bake chicken praline
| • | No small task |
By Elaine Magee
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Q. Dear Recipe Doctor, Is it time for savory recipes yet? I've been waiting for cooler weather to send you this recipe for pecan and panko crusted chicken breasts. It was in the August 2006 issue of Bon Appétit magazine but it seems too rich for my wife and I. Please help!
A. I don't know about you but I'm ready to bring those yummy savory comfort foods back to the dinner table. There's something about the cooler weather and shorter days that inspires freshly baked dinner entrees and casseroles.
This dish does seem like it would be too rich for many of us because it features plenty of pecans, which are adding a hefty dose of fat and calories, albeit smart fats, plus it calls for a 3/4 stick of butter for four servings. I have no problem with the pecans (although I did cut it back by 1/4 cup) but I scaled way back on the amount of added cooking fat and switched to olive oil. Instead of 4 tablespoons of melted butter brushed on the chicken before coating with the crumb mixture, with the remainder of that butter left in the skillet to brown the chicken, I used 4 teaspoons of olive oil to brush on the chicken before adding the crumb mixture. I then lightly coated the outside of the crusted chicken with olive oil cooking spray and browned the chicken in a hot oven. In the original recipe, the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter is used to saute the shallots and make the base for the shallot sauce which is drizzled over the cooked chicken. I used 2 teaspoons of olive oil instead and it worked out great.
BAKED CHICKEN PRALINE
Shallot sauce:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Give the chicken halves a light sprinkling of salt and pepper if desired. Line a baking sheet with foil and coat the foil generously with olive oil cooking spray.
2. In medium bowl, mix panko crumbs and finely chopped pecans together. Brush olive oil over both sides of each chicken breast with pastry or silicone brush (1 1/2 tablespoons) then coat both sides of chicken breast by pressing the chicken breast into the panko pecan mixture then flip the breast over to coat the other side. Lay coated chicken breasts evenly on prepared baking sheet. Coat the tops of the chicken breasts generously with olive oil cooking spray.
3. Bake until the chicken breasts are lightly brown and cooked throughout (about 20 minutes).
4. While the chicken is baking, add 2 teaspoons of olive oil to a medium nonstick saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots and saute for about 1 minute. Add chicken broth and simmer uncovered for about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the fresh parsley and add salt and pepper to taste if desired.
5. Serve each baked chicken breast with a spoon of the shallot sauce drizzled over the top.
To balance out this entree nicely, serve it with a low-fat whole grain and some vegetables.
Original recipe contains 500 calories, 38 grams of fat and 14 grams of saturated fat per serving.
Makes 4 servings.
