Chicken coated with home-made rustic bread crumb & Parmesan mixture, pan seared, finished in the oven, then topped with sage-butter sauce. A special meal that takes a little more time but is well worth the effort.
Prep Time1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Cook Time30 minutesmins
Total Time2 hourshrs
Course: Main Course
Keyword: Chicken, Parmesan, sage-butter sauce
Servings: 4
Author: Oct 2002 Cuisine At Home magazine
Ingredients
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
2bonelessskinless chicken breasts, 8 oz. each
2large egg whites
2teaspoonscornstarch
juice of ½ lemon
1loaf Ciabatta breadto yield 1 cup coarse, dry bread crumbs - no need to remove crust
½cupgrated Parmesan cheese
1tablespoonchopped fresh parsley
1teaspoonkosher or sea salt
¼teaspoonground black pepper
zest of 1 lemon
Sage Butter Sauce
3tablespoonsminced shallot
½cupdry white wine
½cupheavy cream
½cupchicken broth
1teaspoonlemon juice
5tablespoonscold unsalted buttercubed and divided
2teaspoonsminced fresh sage
Salt and white pepper
cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
Parmesan Crusted Chicken
Cut Ciabatta bread into large cubes and process in a food processor until fairly small crumbs form (don't pulverize them however, you want some texture to the crust.) Dry the crumbs on a baking sheet for 10 to 15 minutes in a 200°F oven until completely dried but not toasted.
Cut chicken breasts in half lengthwise, creating pieces which are about 4 oz. each. Lightly pound each piece to about 1/2" thickness in a Ziplock bag with a small amount of water added (this helps prevent the meat from tearing.) Breasts should be an even thickness when done.
Blend egg whites, cornstarch, and lemon juice with a fork in a wide shallow dish; set aside. Combine bread crumbs, Parmesan, parsley, salt, pepper and zest in a second wide, shallow dish. Dip chicken breasts first in egg sauce and then crust with breadcrumb mixture. Scooping and patting handfuls of crumbs onto each piece will help ensure they are thoroughly coated.
Let chicken rest at room temperature on a rack for 20 to 30 minutes to set crust.
Preheat oven to 450°F. Saute chicken in oil in large nonstick, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Carefully turn over and transfer skillet to oven to finish cooking. Roast chicken just until done, about 8-10 minutes more. Serve with sauce.
Sage Butter Sauce
Sauté shallot in 1 tablespoon butter in a small saucepan over medium heat just until soft, 5-7 minutes. Add wine, cream, broth, and lemon juice. Simmer until reduced by half, 10-15 minutes. Note - stop here if you are making the sauce in advance. Refrigerate sauce covered and then rewarm before proceeding.
Whisk in remaining butter, 1 cube at a time, stirring constantly. Do not add more butter until previous addition has melted completely. Finish sauce with sage and seasonings. Serve immediately or keep warm in a water bath until ready to serve.