Sautéed Chicken with Pecan-Parmesan Crust

Sautéed Chicken with Pecan-Parmesan Crust By Charlie Burke www.TheHeartofNewEngland.com

Chicken breasts are low in fat, which is good nutritionally, but this also means they can become dry when cooked, especially when they are skinless and boned. For this reason, they are frequently dipped in flour and beaten eggs before being coated with bread crumbs to not only add a flavored crust but also to seal in moisture. Unfortunately, this coating absorbs the oil or butter in which they are fried, negating the low fat advantage of the lean chicken.

Currently, the definitive book outlining healthy eating is “Eat, Drink and be Healthy: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating,” authored by Walter C. Willett, M.D., Chairman of Department of Nutrition at the Harvard Medical School and Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School (Published by Free Press, A Division of Simon Schuster, NY, NY). It presents scientific evidence regarding a healthy diet and debunks many dietary myths and fad diets. Easy to read and full of substantive dietary information, it is the one book that should be in the library of anyone serious about maintaining a healthy diet.

Dr. Willett’s food pyramid is rationally presented, with exercise being the base. In it, he suggests eating legumes and nuts three times a day. Although nuts are relatively high in fats, these are primarily unsaturated which lower LDL and keep HDL high, which is the healthy ratio for cholesterol. An ounce of most nuts has the same 8 grams of protein as a glass of milk. Additionally, studies have shown that individuals who regularly eat nuts have less risk of heart attack and cardiac death. Several large cohort studies have repeatedly shown a 30% - 50% lower incidence in heart attack and cardiac disease associated with eating nuts several times a week, and there seems to be a lowering of risk for diabetes and gall bladder disease, as well.

We’ve been adding nuts to our diet at breakfast and in salads, and I’ve been experimenting with using ground nuts to replace breading for meat and fish. The natural oil in the nuts, I’ve found, prevent the food from sticking, permitting much less oil to be used. Additionally, the nuts add flavor to the dish. In this recipe, I chose pecans to pair with chicken and added a small amount of Parmesan cheese. I’ve used almonds with grated lemon rind with fish with excellent results (I’ve become convinced by the Italians to never serve cheese with fish). I usually sauté over high heat, but nuts will burn at this temperature, so I use a heavy bottomed pan over medium heat, which leaves a rich brown crust.

Two servings:

2 medium chicken breast halves (4 – 6 ounces) 1/3 cup ground pecans 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground pepper ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional) Peanut or olive oil sufficient to film the pan Mix the ground pecans and Parmesan cheese and put onto a plate. Lightly season the fillets with salt and pepper. Push both sides of the chicken breasts into the ground nuts and then press any of the nut mix left on the bowl into the chicken.

Heat a thick non stick or conventional sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, film the pan with olive oil or peanut oil and carefully lay chicken breasts into the pan. Do not move the chicken until it appears that half of the breast is cooked. Slide a spatula under the chicken and turn them. Again, do not disturb them until done to an internal temperature of 155 degrees or the chicken is just opaque in the thickest areas.

Remove to a warmed plate and let sit for five minutes. Serve with your choice of vegetables and salad.

These nut coatings are quite versatile. Pork coated with ground hazelnuts with a little mustard and, perhaps chopped sage would be a good match, and lamb chops with ground pistachios and marjoram or thyme are another pairing, and any white fish fillet will gain subtle flavor prepared in this manner. So, try this technique to add a healthy dose of nuts to your diet and flavor to your family’s meals.