PECAN-CRUSTED CHICKEN
BREAST WITH GARLIC-GINGER-SCALLION VEGETABLE STIR FRY
Serves 4 to 6
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 cups bread crumbs
- 1 cup pecans, finely chopped
- Grapeseed or vegetable oil for frying
- 1 red pepper, julienned
- 3 large carrots, sliced into thin “coins”
- 2 cups cleaned baby spinach leaves
- 1⁄2 cup Garlic-Ginger-Scallion Stir Fry Sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to
taste
Lay each chicken breast, individually, between two
pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat tenderizer or other flat object,
pound the chicken breasts to a flat and uniform 1⁄2-inch thickness. Set
aside and keep cold. Prepare the pecan breading for the chicken. Three
separate containers will be needed (preferably flat and wide baking
dishes or gratin dishes): one for the flour, one for wet ingredients and
one for the breading ingredients.
Place the flour in the first dish. Whisk the eggs
together with 2 tablespoons oil and pour into the second dish. Combine
the bread crumbs, pecans, salt and pepper in the third dish. Dip the
chicken, one at a time, into first the flour, next the egg mixture and
finally the pecan breading mix. Try to keep one hand dry and use tongs
to transfer the chicken from one dish to another. When all of the
chicken has been coated, place on a dish and refrigerate until ready to
cook. This may be done in advance.
To cook the chicken, add enough cooking oil to a
large skillet to coat the bottom of the pan with 1⁄8-inch of oil. Heat
over medium heat until hot but not smoking. Add the chicken to the oil,
and cook the pecan-coated breasts in batches. Avoid overcrowding the
pan, and cook each batch until golden brown, about 6 minutes on the
first side. Turn the chicken over and cook the second side for an
additional 6 minutes until the center is cooked and the juices run
clear. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons
of oil, add the red pepper and carrots and stir fry until al dente. Add
the spinach leaves to the hot wok, allowing to wilt over medium heat for
1 minute. Add the Garlic-Ginger-Scallion Stir Fry Sauce to the
vegetables and toss to coat well. Remove and keep warm.
Serve each chicken breast on a bed of
Garlic-Ginger-Scallion Vegetable Stir Fry.
Serve with: Bonny Doon “Le
Cigare Volent”
