Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Basil

by Brian on August 25th, 2010 in Cookbook Reviews No Comments

How can you make chicken taste better than chicken? Enfold it with flavor. Inundate it with cool contrasts. In the summer, it’s easier to do than you might think.

Take chicken breasts, marinate them in garlic and mustard, then coat with breadcrumbs and Parmesan, cook in butter, and finish by topping with chopped summer tomatoes and basil. Summer is the ideal season to assemble all these ingredients, spend some time in the kitchen walking through each step, and relish in your accomplishments.

This dish has been the most requested entry at Cooking by the Book this summer. People are instinctively drawn to the idea of chicken, cheese, and fresh garden vegetables. This dish becomes a substantial entry. Pair it with freshly roasted corn, and you can enjoy the peak of summer.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Basil

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

For Chicken and Marinade

• 6 6-ounces boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon white wine
• ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper or several dashes of Tabasco

For the Coating

• 1 cup shredded (not grated) Parmesan
• 1 cup breadcrumbs or panko
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For Tomato Cruda

• 4 plum Roma tomatoes or small, vine ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 to 20 leaves fresh basil, chiffonade
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 
Preparation:

Preheat oven to 450°F.

For the chicken: Rinse the breasts and pat them dry. In a shallow bowl, whisk together the mustard, wine, garlic, and pepper and add the chicken. The chicken can be coated immediately or held in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours.

For the coating: In a large, shallow dish, mix the cheese, breadcrumbs, and pepper. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumb mixture and toss until well combined.

To coat and cook the chicken: Butter a baking sheet or rack. Take a breast from the marinade with one hand (this is now your “wet” hand.) Don’t wipe off the marinade. Lay the chicken on the crumbs. Scoop and pat the crumbs over the breast using your other hand (your “dry” hand), patting until both sides are thoroughly coated. Put the breast on a buttered baking sheet or rack and repeat with the remaining breasts. Roast the chicken until it’s crisp, browned, and cooked through 25 to 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make tomato cruda: In a small bowl, combine the diced tomatoes, garlic, and salt. Add the basic chiffonade. Set aside while the chicken is baking for the cruda flavors to come together.

Remove chicken from the oven and serve with the tomato and basil sauce.

Source: Adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine and Elizabeth Terry

Perfect Tuscan Panzanella

by Brian on August 23rd, 2010 in Cookbook Reviews No Comments

As someone who frequently posts about brownies and ice cream, you might be surprised that I would now write about bread salad. I would not replace my brownies with this, but having panzanella can certainly reduce those latent feelings of sugar guilt.

In fact, I love this salad with its richness of flavors. I usually don’t care for subtle dishes or beverages. I want my mouth to be overwhelmed. This salad does just that. There are lots of ingredients here and that presents you with an opportunity for culinary exploration. You can vary the proportions, drop some of these ingredients, and add others — although this recipe already uses most of the garden already. This is one of those “you can’t fail” recipes you’ll always come back to.

And you have choices on how much you serve each person. It can be a side salad, the perfect accompaniment for some protein in the form of fish, poultry or red meat. Or, you can get out a bigger set of salad spoons, and simply adorn the plates with lots of salad [this recipe suggests a yield of 4 servings which will be big]. It truly is a wonderful meal unto itself.

Perfect Tuscan Panzanella

Yield: Serves 4 generously

Ingredients:

• 4 cups torn pieces of sourdough or rustic peasant bread 1 to 1-½ inches wide
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon drained capers
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 cup thinly sliced red onions
• 5 assorted ripe heirloom tomatoes, halved or quartered depending on size and shape
• 1 red bell pepper, julienned
• 1 yellow bell pepper, julienned
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 fennel bulb, trimmed and thinly sliced, fronds reserved
• ½ cup pitted and halved Nicoise olives
• ¼ cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
• ¼ cup shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 300°F.

In a bowl, toss the bread with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste. Spread the bread on a baking sheet and bake for 7 to 10 minutes, until slightly crisp. (The pieces should not be a crispy as croutons.) Alternatively, spread the bread cubes on a baking sheet and let them dry, uncovered, for about 24 hours.

In a large bowl, whisk together the vinegar, capers, zest, and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Whisking constantly, add the extra-virgin olive oil in a stream until well incorporated.

Add the onion, tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumber, fennel, and olives and toss with the vinaigrette. Adjust the salt and pepper.

Tear the fennel fronds and add them to the bowl along with the basil and bread. Toss to coat. Set aside for 20 minutes.

Divide the salad among 4 plates. Garnish each plate with shaved cheese and serve. If you prefer a moister salad, drizzle with a little more extra-virgin olive oil.

Servings: I’m not sure!