Sunday, March 8, 2009

Lemon Chicken Scallopini

Yeah, yeah, I know it sounds all fancy...but I promise you this dish is very easy and VERY delicious! The first time we made this dish, Sheri and I were looking for something new. We proclaimed that for the entire summer, we would not repeat one SINGLE recipe...everything had to be something new. I flipped through recipes I had cut out of papers and magazines, and this one fit the bill...meaning it was something new AND I already had everything I needed right in the fridge!
We put the recipe together and when we sat down to eat, all of us were moaning with pleasure with every single bite! The chicken is so tender, and it has just the right amount of lemon. Even more importantly, it goes together quite quickly...and it's great with the Rockin' Orzo!! Or if you want to have a lemon "theme", you could pair it with the Frozen Lemon Puff as well...there are no rules here!!

Lemon Chicken Scallopini

4 boneless skinless breast halves
1 c. flour
2 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 c. dry bread crumbs or panko
2 lemons
1/2 c. grated parmesan
1/2 c. pine nuts, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil
approx. 2 tbsp butter
approx. 2 tbsp. EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Using a meat mallet or rolling pin, pound the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of waxed paper or plastic wrap until they are about 1/4" thick. Don't skip this step, or your chicken will not be melt-in-your-mouth tender! Now, take out a good-sized plate and combine flour, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper on it. Crack your eggs into a little bowl, give them a quick little mix, and pour them on another plate. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs, zest from 1 lemon (about 1 tsp.), 1 tsp. salt, parmesan, pine nuts, and basil. Now, go back and sprinkle the chicken with the remaining 1/2 tsp. salt. Here comes the fun and messy part!! Coat both sides of chicken in flour first, then eggs (allowing excess to drip off), then bread crumbs, pressing mixture in slightly. Now, you may be wondering why the four first, and THEN the eggs, right? This is the important part...the eggs go on top of the flour to help seal the juices in! And believe me, it does!

Let's continue! In a large skillet, over medium heat, add 1 tbsp butter and 1 tbsp EVOO. When your pan is hot, add 1-2 chicken breasts and cook 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and cooked through. At this point, the kitchen really starts to smell gooooood! Remove the chicken to a covered dish to keep it warm. Don't be afraid to add more butter and EVOO to your skillet with each batch. We want the chicken to be nice and buttery and crispy around the edges! Cut the remaining unpeeled lemon into large wedges. Squeeze 2 wedges over the chicken before serving and place the remaining wedges on the platter with chicken to make it look pretty. And yes, I know I used slices instead of wedges in the above picture, but sometimes I bend the rules like that...it's just how I roll!! LOL!

*We tried this same technique with fish too, and it was just as good! Go crazy...bend the rules!!*


Coming Soon... Warm Molasses Cookies, Oh My!

4 comments:

Jenelle said...

Ah, the memories. Loved the pine nuts in it.

Anonymous said...

I made this a few days ago. Hubby and really enjoyed it, and the kids LOVED it. My son had 2nd and 3rd helpings. Thanks for the great recipes!

Sarah said...

We loved this! Yum! We can't wait to try it with fish!

Sarah and Johnny

Jen Harpole said...

Amy Saltsman passed a link to your blog on to me....made this recipe last week for us & for a friend that just had surgery. She & her husband are STILL talking about how awesome this chicken was!!

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