Panko-Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Maple Pan Sauce

So we’re back! Applying to jobs and working retail got the best of me, but now I’m home sick! I know this isn’t really something to be celebrating. I feel awful and I’m not even hungry, but now I finally have time to write about stuff that I’ve cooked. Not that it’s been much, but I’m getting back into it.

So my boyfriend came up with this recipe last week, on a night where we realized we hadn’t cooked in a really long time. And there was one ingredient that made me say yes: maple syrup. I am a syrup fiend. A syrup snob. My cousin worked at Merck Forest and Farm last year, and for my birthday my mom sent me one gallon of their finest maple syrup. I’ve gotten into fights with friends over their love of Aunt Jemima, and I have flat out refused to eat pancakes if there isn’t some real maple syrup around.

But even if you’re not like me, you really have to use the real stuff for this recipe. The consistency of an Aunt Jemima type syrup is totally wrong for this recipe. The sauce is a great combination of the sweet syrup and the strong mustard, and a goopy, thick, fake syrup would just mess everything up. So splurge a little and go for the real thing.

Panko-Crusted Chicken with Mustard-Maple Pan Sauce (Serves 4)

• 2 8-ounce skinless boneless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise in half
• 1  egg
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
• 2 tsp.  plus 2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 1 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 2 Tbsp.  olive oil
• 1 cup low-salt chicken broth
• 3 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 2 Tbsp.  plus 1 tsp. coarse-grained mustard
• 1 tsp. butter

Put chicken in a plastic bag and pound out with meat mallet (flat side) until 1/3 inch thick. Whisk egg, parsley, and 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard in large bowl. Place panko on another plate. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Coat each piece of chicken with egg mixture, then with panko, then move to a separate plate.

(A good rule for this move is to use separate hands for each bowl. Pick up the chicken with your left hand and put it in the egg, then drop it into the panko. Then coat with the panko with your right hand. That way, you don’t get panko-battered hands.)

Heat oil in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, and place chicken in pan. Cook until brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Set chicken aside on a paper towel when done.

Whisk syrup, broth, coarse grained and remaining dijon mustards in a bowl. Add broth mixture to skillet and boil until reduced to about 3/4 cup, about 4 minutes. Whisk in butter until melted, then serve sauce alongside chicken.Adapted from Bon Appetit

Advertisement

Tags: chicken, dinner, maple syrup, mustard, recipe