Crusty Chicken with tossed salad and dry mushroom sauce

 

 

All of us like variety in our food and we get excited to walk into a plush restaurant and eat something exotic and different. But that is just a 'once in a blue moon' experience. I like creating exotic, gourmet dishes in my own kitchen and serving it in an appetizing way!

 

You will be surprised to see how you can whip up a good-looking dish, with just few ingredients in a jiffy!

 

 

There are recipes of crusted chicken wherein you dip the chicken in a batter, roll it in crushed cornflakes and deep fry it to perfection; this also gives us a feel of KFC at home. But, my crusty chicken is different- easy, light and quite healthy too.

 

 

 

Serves: Individual platters with 1 chicken fillet per person.

 

Ingredients:

 

For the chicken:

 

Chicken breast fillet (boneless and skinless)    1 fillet

Melted butter/margarine/olive oil                     1/2 cup

Garlic (paste/minced/grated)                             1 tbsp

Salt                                                                    to taste

Crushed black pepper                                        1/2 tsp

Oil                                                                   few tbsps

Readymade potato chips (unflavoured)        1 small packet  

Note- Yes, you read it correctly. This chicken recipe requires regular potato chips/wafers we buy in the supermarkets.

 

 

 

 

For the mushroom sauce:

Oil                                                             few drops

Fresh mushrooms                                      3-4 nos

Butter                                                        1 tsp

Lemon juice                                              1/4 tsp

Salt                                                           a pinch

Crushed black pepper                              a pinch  

 

For the tossed salad:

Lettuce leaves (any variety or mixed)    as required

Extra Virgin Olive oil                            3 tbsps

Lemon juice                                           1 tbsp

Salt                                                        half a pinch

 

 

Method:

• Crush the potato chips pretty finely. Use a food processor or open the packet of chips and bash the packet with a rolling pin. Two bashes and you will have finely powdered chips. (This is my 'stress-buster' method!)

• Wash the chicken fillet and pat it dry. If the fillet is too thick, flatten it using a mallet, kitchen hammer (also called meat tenderiser) or rolling pin. Be gentle.

• Using a sharp knife, very gently, make slits or incisions on the fillet. Season with salt and pepper. Keep in mind that the potato chips also contains salt. I did not add any salt to my chicken fillet. Alternatively, if you want to serve the chicken as an appetizer for a cocktail party, cut the fillet into cubes/chunks or even into strips.
• In a separate, flat bowl, take the melted butter and add the garlic to it. Mix it well.
• Next, immerse the chicken fillet into the melted butter so that the butter coats the chicken completely.

 

Note- If you are apprehensive with the idea of dunking your chicken into butter or face health restrictions, just omit the butter and use buttermilk instead. Buttermilk works wonderfully well with meats and chicken and it also keep it tender and moist, especially the breast piece of chicken which otherwise tends to get a bit dry after cooking. Alternatively, you can also use a combination of butter and buttermilk. Whatever you choose, do not forget the garlic.. lots of it!

• Next, coat this chicken with the crushed potato chips and make sure the fillet is well coated. Press the chips onto the fillet so it sticks well.

• In a pan, heat few tbsps of oil and fry the chicken fillet on low heat till you get a golden colour on the crust. Each side will take 4-5 minutes on low heat. Turn off gas and keep the chicken aside.

• In the meanwhile, take another pan and heat 1-2 tbsps of oil, saute the sliced mushrooms without covering the lid and without adding water. Do not overcrowd the pan otherwise the mushrooms will lose its shape and will shrink and become cranky.

• Once the mushrooms have cooked slightly and released some of its liquid, add the butter, salt and pepper. If you think it is dry and want it more saucy, add little water and cook it.

• Finish it with a light squeeze of lemon juice.

• For the salad- in a bowl, just toss in all the ingredients.

• To plate it up- place the chicken fillet onto the plate, slightly spoon the mushroom sauce on the side and serve with the salad. Alternatively, you can also cut the chicken into strips and serve.

 

 

 

 

Happy Cookin' & Keep it stylish!!