The Washington Post
This recipe dishes up all the crave-ability of crispy-coated chicken without the greasy downside of frying (health- or mess-wise), and it does so with layer upon layer of bold flavor, both on the chicken cutlets themselves and in the salad that crowns them.
Slathering the chicken with mustard kicks things off with a tang and allows the tasty coating of lightly oiled panko bread crumbs, savory shredded Parmesan cheese, paprika and black pepper to adhere. The chicken is then cooked effortlessly on a sheet pan in a hot oven until it is crispy-brown outside and moist inside.
To take full advantage of the space on the sheet pan and the 20-minute roasting time, a couple of cloves of garlic, in their skins, are tossed onto the pan to roast as well, ultimately yielding soft, golden, sweet nubs that get squeezed out of their jackets and added to the salad dressing. This simple step makes the otherwise basic vinaigrette utterly memorable, giving it the backbone it needs to stand up to the big flavor of the chicory leaves.
Mix and match whatever variety of chicories you can find at the store, ideally going for contrasting colors and textures from curly green frisée and escarole to smooth, pale endive and vibrant red radicchio. If your store is lean on chicories, any hearty green will work here, particularly one that has a similarly pleasant bitterness, such as arugula.
With the sumptuous salad heaped onto the crisp cutlets in the style of a chicken Milanese, you have yourself an impressive meal that's as healthful as it is packed with flavor.
Crispy Baked Parmesan Chicken With Chicory Salad
Active: 15 minutes | Total: 30 minutes
4 servings
Ingredients
1/2 cup panko, preferably whole-wheat
1/2 cup packed (2 ounces) coarsely grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon plus 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, divided
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 6 ounces each) pounded to an even 1/2-inch thickness
2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt, or more to taste
4 cups (about 4 ounces) mixed chicories, such as sliced endive and/or radicchio and torn leaves of frisée and/or escarole
Steps
Position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat it to 425 degrees. In a shallow dish stir together the panko, cheese, paprika and 1/4 teaspoon of the black pepper until combined. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and toss to combine.
Use 1 tablespoon of the mustard to rub all over the chicken breasts, then coat the chicken on both sides with the panko-cheese mixture, pressing the mixture in to coat. Place the chicken on a large, rimmed baking sheet, along with the garlic cloves. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked though and browned, and the garlic has softened. (There's no need to flip the chicken.)
Squeeze the roasted garlic out of their peels into a small bowl. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, the remaining 1 teaspoon of mustard, the red wine vinegar, salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of pepper and whisk to combine the dressing, mashing the garlic a bit to integrate it. (It's OK if there are some larger bits of garlic in the dressing.)
Place the chicories in a large bowl. Add the dressing and toss well to coat. To serve, place a piece of the chicken on each of 4 serving plates and top each chicken piece with a mound of the salad.
Nutrition | Calories:
422; Total Fat: 22 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Cholesterol: 121 mg;Sodium: 600 mg; Carbohydrates: 11 g; Dietary Fiber: 2 g; Sugars: 1 g; Protein: 44 g.
