Thursday, August 11, 2011

adventures in cooking: parmesan chicken

I think I have finally found my signature dish. It is my firm belief that everyone needs one. That go-to recipe that never fails you and looks fancier than it really is. I think I have finally found mine and it is Parmesan chicken! It has been in my recipe box all along, and is written in my mother's handwriting even though I don't remember ever having it when I was younger. Regardless, I have already made it twice this week and think I've worked out what the key elements are to it's success!

They are:
First, crushing up the stuffing until it is nice and fine. I do this with my mortar and pestle but I'm sure you could use a food processor or a ziploc bag and rolling pin to achieve the same results.
Second, I've experimented with both butter and olive oil as the means to making the coating stick. I know some recipes call for egg and I may try that next. My only issues with the olive oil was that it made the crumbs slightly soggy but not enough to totally rule out using it in the future.
Third, I used smaller cutlets the second time versus larger chicken breast pieces so there was a smaller crumb to chicken ratio. 

The Recipe:

4 Boneless skinless chicken breast or cutlet
1/2 cup crushed stuffing mix
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. Italian herbs (or just buy Italian Herb Stuffing mix and skip this)
2 Tbsp. melted butter (or Olive Oil)
1/8 tsp. minced garlic

Mix stuffing, cheese and Italian herbs in bowl. Brush chicken with butter and garlic mixture. Roll chicken in crumbs to coat and cook 45-50 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil for final 10 minutes.

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