Sunday, January 09, 2011

Parmesan Chicken (Again!)

Remember the parmesan-crusted chicken recipe?  I promised to give you my other favorite parmesan chicken recipe.  Well, here it is.  Fitzy was making the parmesan-crusted chicken the other night and called to tell me that all was not well.  It seems she tried to make it in a pan that was not nonstick.  Let's just say that there was more parmesan in the pan then on the chicken. She said, "I know I had that other parmesan chicken at your house, but you didn't post it yet."  This recipe has bread crumbs so if you don't have a nonstick pan, no problem.  (But....it will work a little better in a nonstick.  In Fitzy speak,  "I'm just sayin''.)

Parmesan Chicken
adapted from Barefoot Contessa Family Style

2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts- (about 6) cut into 4 to 6 slices per breast
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 large eggs
2 Tablespoons water
2 cups fresh bread crumbs (from italian or french bread)
3/4 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Unsalted butter
Olive oil


Cut chicken into 2 to 3-inch long pieces (I use kitchen shears) and set aside.  Combine the flour, salt, and pepper in a pie plate. On a second pie plate, combine the bread crumbs and grated parmagiano reggiano.  In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with 2 tablespoons of water. Coat the chicken pieces on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly. Set coated chicken pieces on foil-lined sheet pan and keep coating the rest of the chicken.  (I sometimes do this early in the day and then refrigerate coated pieces until ready to cook --could be done a day in advance.)

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook chicken pieces in batches (do not crowd pan) on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Cover pan on first side to help chicken cook through.  Cook second side without lid so that crust stays crispy.  Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken pieces.