Parmesan Crusted Chicken

I must do better at remembering where I get these recipes, if I am going to post them. More than likely it came from http://www.recipe.com/? I like their receipes a lot, they are rated by people who have actually made them.

I made this for dinner tonight and it was DELICIOUS! It's a good thing I made enough for only one serving, or I would still be eating. I made whole wheat angel hair pasta and roasted asparagus, which was a delicious combination with the sauce.

Since I have to count every mg of sodium, cholesterol and carbs, I made a few substitutions - and it was still... mouth-watering DELICIOUS!!!

*I used smart balance instead of butter, 2% milk instead of cream, and red onion, chopped, in place of shallots. Using a little corn starch mixed with the chicken broth and whisked in when almost ready to serve was a great substitution for the the cream. I used the red onion cause I had some that needed to be used. I also used organic chicken breast, which is so much better.

2 whole chicken breasts boneless and skinless
2 egg whites2 Tbls. cornstarch Juice of 1/2 lemon1 seasoned bread crumbs
1 Tbls. fresh parsley, chopped1 teaspoon kosher salt ( I never add salt to anything )
1/4 teaspoon pepper (Fresh Ground is so much better)
Zest of 1 lemon, minced
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
3 Tbls olive oilSage butter sauce
3 Tbls shallots, minced
1/2 cup Dry white wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
4 Tbls. Unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt, white pepper, cayenne to taste (I omitted this completely)
1 teaspoon fresh sage, minced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Prepare the chicken by halving and then halving again lengthwise. (Whole chicken breast are a bit too big. Making smaller pieces ensures that the coating will not burn before the chicken is cooked through.) Pound to about 1/2 inch thick. Blend the egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice with a fork in a wide, shallow dish; set aside. Combine the bread crumbs, parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper, and zest in a second wide, shallow dish.

To crust the chicken breasts, dip each in the egg white mixture and then roll in the bread crumbs. Then transfer the chicken to a rack set over a baking sheet. Air-dry the chicken for 20-30 minutes to help set the crumbs.

To cook, first saute the chicken on the stove in an ovenproof skillet.

As you put the chicken in the pan, lay it towards you. This way each piece will rest on top of any crumbs that fall off. Saute until the chicken is golden and crisp on one side, then carefully flip the pieces over. Cook until golden. Finally, transfer the whole pan to a 450 degree oven to finish. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes in the oven. If you are serving this with Sage-Butter Sauce and Roasted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary, begin roasting the potatoes while the chicken is air drying on the rack, then prepare the sauce and keep it warm in a warm water bath. It will hold just fine for at least an hour.

For the Sauce - saute the shallots in butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until soft, 2 - 3 minutes. Add the wine, cream, broth and lemon juice. Simmer until reduced by half, 8 - 10 minutes. Whisk in butter, 1 Tblsl at a time, stirring constantly. Do not add more butter until previous addition has melted completely. Finish sauce with sage and seasonings. Keep warm in a warm water bath until ready to serve. The Roasted Potato recipe is listed separately.

Chicken breast cut in half and breaded.

Sauce cooking

Chicken cooking to a golden brown