Hardly an original idea but, yesterday afternoon I set out to massage and refresh a common chicken entree – the nut-crusted, rolled boneless chicken breast. It is worth trying to work with this recipe – there are so many possibilities and I like the sensory outcomes – flavor, crunch, creamy, oozy-cheesy, garlicy filling. I was trying for one that’s Gluten-Free and has lots of crunch and flavor.
As I drove to The Farm for a fresh supply of herb plants, I was envisioning little rolls covered in bright green. Then I got to thinking about the nuts – I’ve done the pecan thing before, combined with parmesan, but I wanted something different. What did I have in the house? A small quantity of Pistachios and a package of Pignolis. This seemed worth a try. I also was going for flavor – so I wanted garlic and some herb element inside with the cheese. Of course, this isn’t a new idea at all – I was just experimenting to see what I’d come up with. Here goes:
PISTACHIO, PIGNOLI AND HERB-CRUSTED CHICKEN BREASTS
3 tblsp extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 clove garlic, fine mince (see notes below)
4 pieces boneless chicken breast, pounded slightly
3/4 cup grated gruyere (see notes below)
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, oil packed, chopped
4 large fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded
1 cup combined pistachios and pignolis, finely chopped with knife, don’t use food processor
1 egg beaten with a little warm water
1/2 cup mixed fresh herbs, fine chop – used fresh oregano, lemon thyme and flat-leaf parsley
toothpicks
4 tblsp butter, melted
Preheat oven to 375F.
In a small saute pan combine the rosemary, minced garlic and olive oil. Gently warm until aromas are released but garlic is not browned. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place pounded chicken on a work surface and sprinkle the gruyere over all. Top with the sun-dried tomatoes and the chiffonaded basil leaves. Pour the rosemary/garlic oil over all.
Take each piece and roll together as you would a chicken kiev or chicken cordon bleu. Secure with toothpicks, taking care to keep filling inside.
Dip in the egg wash and roll in the nut and herb mixture, taking care to cover each roll thoroughly.
Place in a baking dish or small au gratin pan.
Drizzle with the melted butter. Bake for 45 minutes or until nut coating is browned and crunchy and internal temp of chicken is 160F. Baste with the melted butter drippings during baking as needed. Remember to watch these though so the pignolis don’t burn!
Everyone enjoyed this version of the Nut-Crusted Chicken roll. Next time I would try Gorgonzola, Goat Cheese or Boursin instead of Gruyere – you can use anything you like. I would also use more garlic (like 2 cloves more) in the rosemary oil. I’m going for max flavors here – but you can’t make it to your taste.
You will note that there is a lot of melted butter in the bottom of this pan. I adjusted the butter quantity downward above. The quantity shown in the pic was excessive and not necessary – you only need enough to keep the chicken breasts moist (I basted once) and to help the browning process.
Enjoy!
My favorite new business card in my collection – for day-dreaming on a day like today!
P.S. Found out Union Square isn’t open yet – in spite of what their website says. Good thing I didn’t drive in avec camera.