Nut Crusted Chicken Cutlets With Lemon And Thyme Food

NUT-CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND THYME

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º. With a fork poke the thickest half of each breast 5-6 times. Place on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet and evenly sprinkle each breast with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Refrigerate, uncovered, while prepare coating.
• Process nuts in food processor until they resemble coarse meal. Heat butter in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan constantly, until butter turns golden brown and has a nutty aroma, 4-5 minutes. Add shallot and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook stirring constantly until just slightly brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, add panko and ground nuts. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to pie plate and stir in lemon zest, thyme and cayenne.
• Lightly beat eggs, mustard and black pepper together in second pie plate. Place flour in third pie plate. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Working with one piece at a time, dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess, then coat with egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off. Coat all sides of chicken with panko mixture, pressing gently so that crumbs adhere. Transfer to a clean wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet.
• Bake until thermometer registers 160º, 20-25 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

THE BEST CHICKEN CUTLETS

Steps:

• Place a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees F.
• Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise making 8 roughly equal pieces. (They should look like large chicken tenders.) Place one sheet of plastic wrap on a clean cutting board. Put one chicken piece in the center of the plastic wrap and top with another sheet. Pound the chicken with the flat side of a meat mallet, starting in the center and working your way to the edges, until the chicken is 1/4 inch thick. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Set up a standard breading station: mix the flour, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, 1 teaspoon onion powder and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes if using, if using, in a shallow dish.
• Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon water in a second shallow dish.
• Mix the panko, Pecorino-Romano, 1 tablespoon kosher salt, the remaining 1 teaspoon granulated garlic, the remaining 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes if using, in a third shallow dish.
• Dredge one piece of chicken in the flour mixture, turning to coat evenly. Shake off any excess, then dip into the egg mixture, turning to fully coat it on both sides. Let the excess egg drip off, then press the chicken firmly into the breadcrumb mixture, turning to coat on both sides and packing the crumbs into any crevices. Transfer the chicken back to the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken pieces.
• Line a clean baking sheet with a clean wire rack. Heat 2 tablespoons of the unsalted butter and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 pieces of chicken and cook until the breading is golden-brown and crisp and the chicken is just cooked through, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to the clean wire rack, season with salt and hold in the oven at 200 degrees F to keep warm. Wipe the skillet clean and repeat with the remaining butter, olive oil and chicken, making 4 batches in total.
• Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.

THYME-AND-SESAME-CRUSTED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• Whisk flour with a pinch each of salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Whisk eggs in a separate dish. Stir together panko, sesame seeds, and thyme in a third shallow dish. Season chicken with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour, shaking off excess. Dip in eggs, allowing excess to drip off, and coat with panko mixture, patting to adhere.
• Pour enough oil into a large skillet to come about 1/4 inch up sides. Heat over medium-high until a panko crumb dropped in sizzles instantly. Add cutlets in a single layer (work in batches, if necessary); cook until undersides are golden brown, 2 to 4 minutes (if browning too quickly, reduce heat). Flip and cook until second side is brown and chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer to a wire rack to drain. Season with salt and serve.

NUT-CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Poke each breast several times with a fork. Sprinkle each breast with 1/2 tsp kosher salt, coating both sides. Refrigerate, uncovered, 15-20 minutes.
• Process nuts in food processor, about 20 1-second pulses, until it looks like coarse meal. Heat butter in skillet over medium flame until melted. Swirl constantly until butter is brown and smells nutty, 4-5 minutes. Add shallot and 1/4 tsp kosher salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until shallot is soft, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add nuts and panko and stir often until golden brown, 10-12 minutes. Transfer to a shallow dish and stir in lemon zest, thyme and cayenne.
• Beat egg, mustard and black pepper in a second bowl; place flour in a third dish. Pat breasts dry. Dip breasts, one at a time, into flour, patting off excess, then into egg, then into nut mixture. Scoop nut mixture on top of the chicken and press it down hard to make it adhere. Place breast on a rack placed over a cookie sheet, then prepare the second one.
• Place rack in lower-middle of preheated oven and bake until internal temperature of chicken is 160F, 20-25 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then serve with lemon wedges.

WALNUT-CRUSTED CHICKEN BREAST

Steps:

• Mix garlic, 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard, and thyme together in a bowl to make the "nut glue."
• Season chicken breasts generously with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Spread nut glue all over the chicken. Refrigerate until ready to use.
• Toss walnuts over the chicken, press down firmly, and repeat on the other side to coat thoroughly. Refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 3 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Coat the bottom of an oven-proof skillet with some olive oil. Place chicken breasts on top, reserving excess nuts if desired. Season with a pinch of salt and drizzle more olive oil on top.
• Bake in the center of the preheated oven until walnuts are lightly toasted and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast reads 150 degrees F (66 degrees C), about 25 minutes.
• Quickly remove chicken to a plate to rest. Transfer skillet to the stovetop; stir in broth, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, and honey and bring to a boil over high heat; cook until reduced by about half, 3 to 4 minutes. Spoon pan sauce over and around the chicken to serve.