Panko-Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Maple Pan Sauce

This is one of my favorite weeknight chicken recipes to make. It doesn't take long to cook and everyone at my house likes it (even my daughter, if I leave off the sauce). It's similar to fried chicken, in that it's coated with crispy bread crumbs and has a nice crunch. But since it's pan fried in very little oil, it's not at all greasy. The sauce is delicious (tangy from the mustard and sweet from the maple syrup).

PANKO-CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD-MAPLE PAN SAUCE

Makes 4 servings

2 (8 oz.) skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise in half

1 large egg

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley

2 teaspoons plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 cup low-salt chicken broth

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon coarse-grained mustard

1 tablespoon chilled unsalted butter

1.      Whisk egg, parsley, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard in large bowl. Place chicken in egg mixture; turn to coat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Dip each chicken piece in panko; turn to coat.

2.      Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until outside is browned and chicken is cooked through, about 6 minutes per side.

3.      Meanwhile, whisk broth, syrup, coarse-grained mustard, and remaining 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard in glass measuring cup.

4.      Transfer chicken to plates. Add broth mixture to skillet; boil until reduced to about 3/4 cup, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Add butter; whisk until melted. Spoon sauce alongside chicken.

adapted from Bon Appétit, October 2009

parsley leaves

dipping the chicken in the egg mixture

dipping the chicken in the panko

It's worth buying the panko if you don't already
have some. You can substitute regular bread crumbs,
but the chicken won't come out nearly as crunchy.

chicken coated and cooking

If you follow the recipe, you should have four,
but I had one extra, so I threw it in there.

chicken flipped

sauce ingredients whisked together

sauce before reducing and adding butter

Try to remove most of the cooked breadcrumbs that
fell off the chicken before you pour in the sauce
ingredients (it's okay if you don't get all of them).

sauce reduced and butter being whisked in

sauce upclose (the specks are from both the grainy
mustard and breadcrumbs that were left behind)

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