I’ve been on a non-stop quest to find a delicious chicken to serve at my son’s wedding coming up in September. I get close, but haven’t been totally satisfied with the results. I posted my wish about three weeks ago, and Barbara (of BarbaraBakes) sent the request to Kathy Stephenson – Salt Lake Tribune food writer. She had the right clout and was gracious enough to get the recipe to share in the Trib on July 21, 2009 – thank you Kathy! The link is HERE for a little more info than I will give here.
If you’ve never eaten at Archibald’s – give it a try. This chicken is to die for… I’ve been trying to duplicate it for years, and haven’t done so until now.
What I was missing was the right bread crumbs. “Panko” crumbs are made from bread without crusts – in other words, from the soft center of the loaf that we all like best. Panko crumbs add a special crunch – nothing heavy, but airy. After quick pan-frying in a small amount of butter and fresh garlic, the chicken is topped with a lemon butter sauce. Since you pound the chicken thin before coating it, the cooking time is reduced and the chicken is so tender you barely need to chew.
Be sure to keep the heat at medium, as the garlic has a tendency to burn easily. I pounded my chicken with a large chef’s knife, being careful not to pulverize it by pounding too long. This tenderized it as well as flattened it.
Since I can’t normally consume 8 large chicken breasts, I adapted the recipe down to two servings (the full-size recipe is first, the adaptation is below…)
Ingredients:
8 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 cups panko breadcrumbs
6 eggs
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 to 4 tablespoons butter
5 to 6 garlic cloves, minced
Lemon sauce
2 cups chicken broth
½ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup (1 stick) butter
¼ cup cornstarch
Fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Place chicken pieces between wax paper, flatten with a mallet. Place flour in a shallow bowl. Place eggs in a separate bowl and beat until combined. In a third bowl, add breadcrumbs. Coat both sides of chicken with flour, shake off excess. Dip in egg and coat with breadcrumbs. Place on a piece of wax paper. Repeat with remaining pieces.
Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic. Place coated chicken pieces in pan (you may have to do this in batches). Cook until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn and cook another 4 to 5 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan. Cover and keep warm.
For lemon sauce, combine broth, lemon juice and butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in a small amount of cold water until smooth. Gradually pour cornstarch into hot liquid, stirring until it boils. Cook one minute until thickened. Remove from heat. Stir in fresh basil. Season with salt and pepper.
To serve, place one chicken breast on each plate. Top with lemon sauce.
Servings » 8
Adapted for 2-3 servings:
Ingredients for chicken:
2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
¾ cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg
¼ cup flour
2 Tbs butter
1 clove garlic – minced
Lemon Sauce:
½ cup chicken broth (I used a bouillon cube in ½ cup water)
2 Tbs fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs butter
1 Tbs cornstarch
Fresh basil (I used dried basil leaves)