Oven-fried Chicken Breasts with Pecan Crust

Name: Oven-fried Chicken Breasts with Pecan Crust
Yield: serves 4 to 6
Ingredients: 1/4 cup coarse salt; 2 tablespoons sugar; 1 tablespoon sweet Hungarian paprika; 4 cloves garlic, smashed; 2 bay leaves, preferably fresh; 4 cups buttermilk; 4 to 6 (8-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 1/2 cup fresh or panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs; 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans; 2 tablespoons canola oil; 2 large eggs; 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves; Freshly ground black pepper; Vidalia Honey Mustard Dressing (page 284), for accompaniment

December 9, 2011

Brining, or soaking poultry in salted water before cooking, is the answer to dry, tasteless white meat and rubbery dark meat: brined poultry loses only half as much moisture during cooking as unbrined. In this recipe, I use buttermilk instead of water for the brine. Buttermilk is traditional in some fried chicken recipes and has the added benefit of acting as a tenderizer. If doubling this recipe, do not double the amount of salt, as the chicken will be too salty. Serve this with a dollop of Vidalia Honey Mustard Dressing (page 284) as a sweet complement to its savory flavors.

Recipe notes

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