Recipe: Walnut & Rosemary "Fried" Chicken

If you're the type of person that makes new year's resolutions (not me), I'm going to bet it has something to do with eating healthier. Maybe you just think it's a good idea regardless of what time of the year it happens to be. Either way, here is a delicious recipe I started using from Cooking Light a year or so ago. It sounds fancy, tastes delicious and won't immediately thicken your butt. Yay!

The way this chicken dish is treated results in a juicy breast with a crunchy exterior without much effort! It resembles an upscale fried chicken dish, but has the benefits of being baked.

This yields 4 servings and takes about 30 minutes from start to finish. Cooking Light estimates calories to be 287 per serving. Have it with a side of veggies or salad. Don't fret, you won't be left unsatisfied after tasting this chicken.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
4 chicken cutlets or 2 breasts, butterflied so they aren't so thick
1/3 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs, much crunchier than traditional)
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts
2 Tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (use Parmesan if you don't have this available)
1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced
Salt & Pepper
Cooking spray

Method:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit

Combine buttermilk and mustard in a shallow dish, stirred with a whisk. Add chicken to this mixture, turn to coat and let it soak while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add panko and toss/stir to toast (this step is worth the effort). Keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn. It just needs to turn light brown or golden.

Combine panko, nuts, cheese, rosemary, salt and pepper in another shallow dish, mix together. Remove chicken from buttermilk and thoroughly coat in the panko-nut mixture. Pat as much on there as you can because some of it will fall off as it cooks.

Place a wire rack on a cookie sheet or baking sheet. I usually use a metal cooling rack. A grill pan may work, too, if you have it. Just make sure it is oven-safe and not coated in non-stick stuff. If you can't finagle a wire rack-sheet contraption, just use a pan. This means the underside of your chicken may get soggy, though. Should still taste great.

Spray the rack with cooking spray. Put the chicken on the rack - this helps with keeping everything toasty. Spray the top of the chicken with cooking spray, too. We want a lovely medium brown color on this crunchy coating!

Bake for about 13 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.


Feel free to adjust rosemary, nuts, etc. according to your preference. I try not to be too picky about measurements in this recipe.

Happy cooking!