Keep new recipe tryouts for the weekends
I like to try out new recipes. I check out recipes in magazines,
on cooking shows and sometimes just random ones that I find online.
I usually try to save new recipes for the weekend because it tends
to take a little longer to make a dish the first time
– and I have a tendency not to read all the way through a recipe
and not get key ingredients. It’s much easier to run to the grocery
store on a weekend than during the week, especially on weeks when I
don’t get home until 6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Keep new recipe tryouts for the weekends
I like to try out new recipes. I check out recipes in magazines, on cooking shows and sometimes just random ones that I find online. I usually try to save new recipes for the weekend because it tends to take a little longer to make a dish the first time – and I have a tendency not to read all the way through a recipe and not get key ingredients. It’s much easier to run to the grocery store on a weekend than during the week, especially on weeks when I don’t get home until 6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Nevertheless, I decided to try a new meal last week when I saw a few minutes of Giada De Laurentiis’ “Everyday Italian” right before making a grocery list. De Laurentiis was cooking a chicken dish that incorporated fennel, one of my favorite vegetables, and cherry tomatoes, many of which have been ripening in my yard. It seemed like a good fit and a visit to the Food Network Web site revealed it only took an estimated 28 min. to make. Sounded perfect for a midweek meal.
I wrote down the ingredients without reading through the steps and planned it for a Thursday night since I usually don’t work late that day. Now the trouble started when I realized the recipe required me to set up three shallow dishes to dredge the chicken. No meal that requires dredging chicken is going to be quick. Then I realized I’d bought shredded parmesan cheese instead of grated. I, once again, hadn’t read through the entire recipe and didn’t realize the cheese was for the breading for the chicken, not to be melted in the sauce. I used it anyway for the breading, but it caused a little burning in the pan since the cheese was chunkier than it should have been.
No one else was home to help cook the meal so I had to cook the chicken and put it in the oven to keep it warm, before I could start prep work on the veggies. Fennel just needs a rough chop, but cutting five dozen cherry tomatoes in half is no quick task. An hour later, everyone else arrived home just as the chicken and sauce were completed.
The chicken was crisp on the outside, but tender on the inside with a delicious sweet and creamy sauce.
The meal got the seal of approval from everyone in the family so it will be added to the rotation, although maybe on nights when someone is home to help prep.
Chicken Milanese with tomato and fennel sauce
Recipe courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis
Chicken:
1/3 c. all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c. plain bread crumbs
2/3 c. grated Parmesan
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
4 (6 to 8-ounce) boneless and skinless chicken breasts, tenderloins removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/3 c. vegetable oil
Sauce:
1 tbsp. olive oil
2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and thinly sliced
2 1/2 c. (12 ounces) cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp. dried thyme or 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 c. mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
For the chicken: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack.
Using 3 wide shallow bowls, add the flour to 1, the eggs to another and to the third bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and thyme.
On a work surface, put the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, lightly pound the chicken until approximately 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly, then dip into the beaten eggs, allowing the excess egg to drip off. Coat the chicken with the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
In a large, nonstick saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of the breaded chicken into the oil and cook until light golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Reserve the cooking juices in the saute pan.
For the sauce: Using the same saute pan, add the olive oil to the reserved cooking juices and heat over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the tomatoes are tender. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and spoon the sauce over the top before serving.
