Let's start this blog post with this fun fact... I'm in Florida for the summer, so time spent in the kitchen is 100 times easier (and prettier) than the days spent in my Japanese kitchen. So, know that these are still my photos, but this is my Mom's granite kitchen counters. I haven't moved!
With that said, I am indeed visiting my Mom for the summer months and she has a list of favorite items for me to cook. One is chicken Parmesan. Before heading to Publix to buy my ingredients, I had to check what she had and I found two items of interest... a container of fresh Pecorino Romano cheese and a packet of Tuscan Farmhouse Blend with Sea Salt. My wheels started churning... how could I doctor up my already delicious meal with these two gems? Insert my new summer staple ingredients and the meal transformed:
When looking at your coating, consider your salty preference. I used about 1/4 C of bread crumbs along with a TBsp of the cheese and 1/2 TBsp of the herb mixture per chicken breast. I mixed my breading, added flour to the plate (separate... not mixed with the breading), and then made an egg bath (whisked an egg in a bowl). It looks like this:
Start a frying pan of olive oil (just a bit... maybe 1/4 C) on the stove. Pre-heat your oven to 375. Then dust your chicken in the flour, dip in the bath, and coat generously with your breading. As long as the oil is hot, you may gently place it in the pan and brown each side. Watch it carefully. You won't want to cook it in the pan... just get it crispy.
After you have crisped up your chicken, the tedious part is over. Put it in a baking dish (sprayed with olive oil) and cook it for about 10 minutes and then check. It's so important to keep an eye on your chicken because you can't undo overcooking! Once it appears to be mostly done, you will top it with your favorite tomato sauce and, of course, mozzarella cheese and return your dish to the oven for its final five minutes. If your chicken breasts are bigger, you will want to cut them in half if the middle isn't cooking quite evenly enough.
I served this dish with zucchini slices and a pasta and you guessed it!!!! I used the cheese/herb mixture as the seasoning for the veggies and as a topper on the pasta and (again) on the chicken. This stuff is so good!
How might you get this herb mix? Well, I think my friends in America and abroad can enjoy this just as easily. This mix is made by the Salt Sisters and you may order the mix online at Salt Sisters Online. I have linked to the Tuscan blend, but there are so many other items! Dips, rubs... even drink mixes!!!!!! I will be putting in a serious order while I am visiting the states this summer, and those salts are coming home in my suitcase with me. This took my very awesome chicken parm to a new level.
And wait till you see how I've used this herb blend in my other recipes this summer. It doesn't stop here.
No comments:
Post a Comment