Best Chicken Fried Steak Encrusted with Pecans with a Mustard Sauce
Serve this up on your table and you may be fielding questions about the delicious chicken fried steak sitting on their plate. Yes, it looks like a chicken fried steak recipe, but in reality it is a chicken breast, breaded in a delicious coating of crushed pecans and seasoning. When they take their first bite, they will begin to ooh and ahh as the tender, moist chicken blends with the nutty, slightly spicy crust. The mustard sauce is the frosting on the cake, as it were. The spicy flavor of the mustard complements the nutty richness on the chicken nicely.
Serve this dish with a creamy side recipe like potatoes au gratin or mac and cheese. For vegetables, green beans, asparagus, or a nice fresh salad may fit perfectly. This dish tastes like it took hours to make, yet it is really very simple and you can have dinner cooked in no time. Leftovers can be used as snacks. Just cut them into strips and dip them in the mustard sauce like chicken nuggets.
You can substitute any grainy mustard for the Dijon if you wish. The slight variations in flavor that will occur will not make a difference in the tastiness of this recipe. The mustard sauce makes a nice counterpoint if you want to serve this dish with a crisp sparkling wine. In fact, this could easily be a lovely anniversary meal that is every bit as good as going to a fancy restaurant.
Ingredients –
- 1 cup pecans
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon plus one pinch cayenne powder
- 1 egg
- 2 Tablespoons water
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 3 Tablespoons cooking oil
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Preparation:
Place the pecans, cornstarch, thyme, paprika, 1¼ teaspoons of salt and ⅛ teaspoon cayenne in a food processor. Pulse until the nuts are finely chopped. Put the contents into a medium-sized bowl.
Whisk the egg together with the water in a small bowl. Dip each breast of chicken into the egg mixture and then in the nut mixture.
Heat oil over moderate heat in a skillet. Add the chicken and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side until the chicken is cooked through and golden brown.
In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, vinegar, parsley and a pinch of cayenne as well as the last ¼ teaspoon of salt. Mix well. Drizzle over the chicken or serve on the side for dipping.
