Run, don't walk, to the grocery store right now and buy yourself some Panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs) in the Asian section. My ordinary grocery store carries two brands of panko so you shouldn't have trouble finding it. I just made this recipe for the first time last night and it was stunningly good, and easy. I had purchased some Panko the day before, intending to make a wonderful dish that my friend Lori had served to me last week, but I misplaced the recipe so searched the internet and found something very similar, but was baked rather than pan-fried like my friend's was. I was anxious to skip the pan-frying step, and delighted to discover how crunchy and delicious the baked version was. I then located my friend's recipe so the following is a hybrid of hers and the one found at this link: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/panko-crusted-chicken-bites-with-apricot-mustard-sauce?lnc=4ef2dc5bfca40110VgnVCM1000003d370a0aRCRD The first photo is the one from the site and the second is the next day's leftovers of the dish I made, reheated in the toaster oven. You can cut the chicken in cubes or slice thin and pound flat but my kids liked the cubes better because there was more crunchy stuff. My chicken was mostly frozen to make it easy to cut, and I baked it still frozen, and it came out moist and delicious. I can't wait to try other things with panko, such as sliced sweet potato, shrimp, and fish. 1/2 cup all-purpose flour Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper 2 large eggs 1-2 teaspoons brown or 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (I used Trader Joe's shredded Quattro formaggio) Pinch of cayenne pepper 4 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 2 lbs.), cut into 1-inch cubes (or sliced crosswise and pounded flat) Dipping Sauce (in web site photo): 1 cup apricot jam or preserves 1/4 cup 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves OR Sauce to Serve on Rice (adapted from Lori, in my photo): 1 cup chicken broth ¼ - ½ cup apricot jam OR 3 tbsp. mango concentrate 2 tablespoons stone-ground mustard or 1 tablespoon butter Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray; set aside. Place flour in a large bowl and season very generously with salt and pepper. Whisk eggs in another large bowl with 2 tablespoons water and 1-2 tsp. brown or Place chicken pieces in the seasoned flour and toss to coat. Working in 3 batches, shake off any excess flour from chicken pieces and dip to coat in egg mixture. Transfer coated chicken pieces with a slotted spoon to the breadcrumb mixture and toss until completely coated. Place the breaded chicken pieces on baking sheet, spacing them evenly apart. Repeat process until all the chicken is breaded. Bake until golden brown and chicken is cooked through, 18 to 20 minutes (about 25 minutes for larger pieces). For the sauce I made, combine ingredients in a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 45-seconds to a minute, just to melt the jam and butter, and stir to combine. The sauce is wonderful with the chicken and over the rice. I can't remember exactly what proportions I used, so use more or less jam depending on how sweet you want it. Also, if the sauce is too thin, simmer it on the stove for a few minutes. |
