Barefoot Bloggers - Parmesan Chicken

This was my first foray into the Barefoot Bloggers challenges. The Barefoot Bloggers are devoted to all things Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa). Every two weeks we will blog about our adventures into Ina's recipes.


My first challenge was Parmesan Chicken. This was a lovely recipe. Very simple to make with everyday ingredients that many cooks will have about the house, but absolutely fantastic flavour. My husband thought it was fantastic.


It makes a good six servings, depending on the size of your chicken breasts (mine were huge for some reason...). We've had three good meals out of this recipe. The first night we ate it according to recipe, warm with greens and a lemon vinaigrette. The next day I thinly sliced it over salad and ate it cold with the remaining vinaigrette. I also had a lovely sandwich made from the sliced chicken breasts and avocado with an aioli mayonnaise. Ah...a little piece of paradise...

I highly recommend giving this recipe a try. Its perfect for a weekday meal or a dinner party and its quick to make. The most difficult steps are probably the pounding of the chicken (which your butcher can do for you) and the breading (which always ends up with a huge mess on the counter in my kitchen).


Parmesan Chicken
2002, Barefoot Contessa Family Style, All Rights Reserved

4 to 6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 extra-large eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 1/4 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra for serving
Unsalted butter
Good olive oil
Salad greens for 6, washed and spun dry
1 recipe Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Pound the chicken breasts until they are 1/4-inch thick. You can use either a meat mallet or a rolling pin.

Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate. On a second plate, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water. On a third plate, combine the bread crumbs and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan. Coat the chicken breasts on both sides with the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and dredge both sides in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly.

Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook 2 or 3 chicken breasts on medium-low heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts. Toss the salad greens with lemon vinaigrette. Place a mound of salad on each hot chicken breast. Serve with extra grated Parmesan.

Lemon Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/2 cup good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper.

6 servings