Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts
Makes four 2-3 oz. pieces
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (6-8 oz each)
2 egg whites
2 teaspoon cornstarch
Juice of ½ lemon
1 cup coarse dry bread crumbs (I make my own with crusty bread)
1 T. chopped fresh parsley
½ cu Parmesan cheese
1 t. kosher salt
¼ t. ground black pepper
Prepare the two chicken breast by cutting each breast in half and then gently pounding the pieces to an even ½” thick.
Blend egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice with a fork in a wide, shallow dish and set aside.
Combine bread crumbs, parsley, salt, pepper and parmesan cheese in a second wide shallow dish.
Coating the chicken: To coat, you need to dip the chicken into egg white mixture then roll into the crumb mixture. Pat crumbs on both sides of the chicken. Transfer the chicken to a baking sheet to dry for 20-30 minutes to set the crumbs.
Sauté the chicken in olive oil in an ovenproof nonstick skillet until the chicken is golden and crisp on one side, and then carefully flip the pieces over and cook.
Transfer the whole pan to a 450 oven to finish. Eight to ten more minutes.
To make this dish even better serve with this wonderful sage-butter sauce over the top:
Sage-Gutter Sauce
3 T. shallot, minced
Add and reduce:
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
1 t. fresh lemon juice
Whisk in:
4 T. ½ stick cold unsalted butter, cubed
Finish with:
½ t. dried sage, salt, white pepper, and a touch of cayenne.
This is my mother’s favorite dish that I make for her and she would drink the sauce. I always make extra so she can dip her chicken. It may sound like a lot of work but it is so worth the time.