Author Notes
Succulent chicken breast is dipped in a frothy egg white and Pommery mustard, then coated with a crunchy pecan and Panko crust, sauteed in sweet butter and glazed with maple. Straightforward and simple but it never failed to bring raves in my 30 years catering business. I love that it is low fat and needs no sauce because it is so flavorful on its own. And while I love it hot and crispy, it is still great as a cold dish on a picnic.( It was adapted long ago from another recipe, I have no idea what that was.)
Good starch side partners include things like buttercup squash and sweet potatoes. —LeBec Fin
Ingredients
-
3 pounds
boneless skinless chicken breast, tenderloins removed so breasts are of even thickness
-
4
large egg whites(1/2 cup) with few pinches kosher salt
-
1/3 cup
Pommery Mustard*
-
2 1/2 cups
ground pecans, medium grind (not fine)
-
2 1/2 cups
Panko or fresh baguette type bread crumbs
-
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
1/2-1 pounds
unsalted butter, melted
-
1/2-1 cups
Grade B Maple syrup, heated
Directions
-
Place cookie rack on sheet pan. Combine 1/2 the pecans and bread crumbs in a low dish.
By hand or in a Kitchen Aid ,whisk egg whites and salt until foamy and beginning to lose yellowness. Transfer to smaller bowl and quickly and gently fold in Pommery mustard with spatula.
-
Dip both sides of chicken breasts in egg white mustard mixture and then press down thoroughly into pecan bread crumb mixture. Refill nut/crumb mixture as needed.
Sprinkle w/ S and P. Place chicken on cookie rack and let chill at least 1 hour.
-
Saute chicken on both sides in butter, til crunchy brown and juices run pale pink when meat is skewered. Brush very generously w/ warm maple syrup. Serve.
-
Notes: Pommery is a must here (uh oh, an unintentional pun.) The best is Moutarde de Meaux in the red lidded crock, though it is expensive. Dijon just doesn't cut it here. (uh oh, another one!)
-
This chicken is still delicious as a cold leftover, but it loses its crisp crunchiness.
-
Notes: The amount of needed egg white and pecan coatings can vary a lot depending upon the size of your chicken pieces. If you use chicken tenderloins ,or cubes or strips of chicken for hors d'oeuvre skewers, because surface area increases, you may end up needing more of the coatings.
For 12 ounces of chicken tenderloins, I used 1/4 cup egg whites, 2 1/2 Tablespoons Pommery mustard; 1 cup pecans and 1 cup Panko.
-
This is a perfect use for those lefover egg whites taking up freezer space (they last forever in the freezer.)
My eating passions are Japanese, Indian, Mexican; with Italian and French following close behind. Turkish/Arabic/Mediterranean cuisines are my latest culinary fascination. My desert island ABCs are actually 4 Cs: citrus, cumin, cilantro, cardamom, and GARLIC! I am so excited by the level of sophistication that I see on Food52 and hope to contribute recipes that will inspire you like yours do me. I would like to ask a favor of all who do try a recipe of mine > Would you plse review it and tell me truthfully how it worked for you and/or how you think it would be better? I know many times we feel that we don't want to hurt someone's feelings, but. i really do want your honest feedback because it can only help me improve the recipe.Thanks so much.
See what other Food52ers are saying.