Nut Crusted Chicken Cutlets, with Lemon and Thyme



Made an incredible accidental discovery – Cook’s Illustrated magazine.  Sent in for a free issue, and got 3 great recipe’s from it.  This one was the first that we made – fairly simple, really unusual, and REALLY good!  I HIGHLY recommend subscribing to this magazine if you love to cook – great recipes, equipment reviews, and general cooking advice.



Final Product, with corn and green onions





Here is the recipe:



Ingredients:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of excess fat (and the tenderloin if still attached)  Cut in ½ if need be to keep to no more than 1 inch thick.

½  tsp fresh ground sea salt

1 cup roughly chopped almonds (use a blender or food processor – chop to a course ground meal consistency)



4 tbs (1/2 stick) butter, cut into 4 pieces



1 medium shallot minched

1 cup Panko bread crumbs (do NOT use regular – Panko are Japanese style, big and crunchy)

2 tsb lemon zest (from one lemon) cut remaining lemon into wedges, and reserve.

1 tsp freshly minced Thyme leaves

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

3 large eggs



2 tsp Dijon mustard



¼ tsp fresh ground black pepper

1 cup all purpose flour

Directions:

Place one rack in oven to lowest position, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.



Pan toast nuts and bread crumbs



1 - Poke each breast with a fork 5 or 6 times, season with fresh ground salt. Set aside in refrigerator.

2 – Process nuts in food processor, until they are the consistency of a rough ground meal.  Heat butter in 12 inch skillet, whisking constantly until it turns golden brown, about 4 – 5 minutes ( don’t burn!).  Add shallot and ¼ tsp fresh ground salt.  Cook, stirring constantly, until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low, add panko and ground nuts.  Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, about 10 to 12 minutes.  This smells heavenly by the way!  Transfer panko/nut mixture to side plate, add lemon zest, Thyme and cayenne, mix thoroughly.



Egg Mixture



3 – lightly beat eggs, mustard and black pepper together in a small bowl.  Place flour on a separate plate.  Pat chicken dry with paper towels.  Working with one piece at a time, dredge breast in flour first, shaking off excess, then dip in egg mixture, allowing excess to drip off.  Roll breast in nut mixture, so all sides are covered, pressing gently so crumbs adhere.  Transfer breaded chicken to a clean wire rack set in a rimmed baking sheet.  Repeat with remaining chicken.



Bake Chicken at 350



4 – Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until interior temp is 160 degrees, and juices run clear.  Serve with lemon wedges.



I served this with some simple frozen corn, heated with a tbs of water, and a tbs of butter, in a microwave (lol, yes I use a microwave occasionally!) and spiced up with some chopped green onion. 

Really an awesome, company quality dish!