Blogs, Recipes

Lemon Parmesan Chicken

This is definitely one of my favorite dishes! It’s perfect for a quick weeknight meal or a date night!

With this recipe you get perfectly tender, golden brown pan seared chicken coated in a quick lemon garlic butter pan sauce. It will have you wanting seconds and maybe even thirds! 

I like to serve this over a bed of spinach or with my Garlic & Spinach Orzo- recipe coming soon! 

As for my wine, this dish pairs perfectly with Scout & Cellar Clean-Crafted™Che Fico Pinot Grigio. It’s tart and fresh with lemon, underripe peach and a subtle minerality and a refreshing finish. Perfect on a hot summer night! 

Click the link to order the wine pairing- Scout & Cellar Clean-Crafted™ Che Fico Pinot Grigio.
http://www.scoutandcellar.com/whiskawaykitchen

Ingredients for Parmesan Crusted Chicken:

  • 1 1/2 lb chicken breast or 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
  • 1 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 Tbsp parsley to garnish
  • 1/2 lemon sliced for garnish

Ingredients for the Egg Mixture:

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 garlic clove minced
  • 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
  • For the Parmesan Breading Mixture:
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese grated
  • 3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

Ingredients for Lemon Butter Sauce:

  • 8 Tbsp butter
  • 2 garlic cloves minced
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

Instructions

Cut the chicken breasts in half lengthwise. 

Lightly beat with a meat mallet until even in thickness.

In a bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the egg mixture. 

In another bowl, combine the ingredients for the parmesan mixture. 

Dip chicken into the egg mixture, then dredge chicken in the parmesan mixture. 

Allow any excess ingredients to fall off from each bowl.

In a large skillet, heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet. 

Once hot, add the chicken and cook 4-5 minutes per side, or until crispy, golden and cooked through to 165˚F. 

Transfer to  a plate. 

In the same saucepan, melt butter and garlic, cook until fragrant. 

Add the chicken broth, lemon juice and pepper. 

Allow the sauce to cook for about 2 minutes. 

Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken, turning to coat. 

Garnish with lemon slices and finely chopped parsley if desired.

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Blogs, Recipes

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala with Cauliflower rice

Perfect for weekend OR weeknight cooking, this is one chicken recipe you will make time and time again. This Chicken Marsala recipe is equally as good as what you’ll get at an Italian restaurant so it’s the perfect thing to make on your own, and of course a great dish to serve to guests. It’s a classic dish that does not disappoint!

It’s no wonder it’s one of the most ordered chicken dishes in restaurants! Made with golden, crispy, pan-fried chicken, crispy prosciutto, a mushroom-filled creamy Marsala wine sauce and a good kick of garlic, this Chicken Marsala recipe is next-level!

So let’s talk about wine pairings. You don’t want to go too big with this dish. A big red like a Cabernet will overwhelm not only the chicken, but the subtle sweetness of the Marsala sauce. You’re better off going with a full bodied white like Scout & Cellar Clean-Crafted™ Chardonnay, or Pinot Gris. Not a white wine fan? Go for a light to medium bodied red like Pinot Noir. 

So there you have it, my easy and delicious Chicken Marsala recipe, and the wines that I recommend with it. Crack open a bottle of something awesome, and get cooking. 

INGREDIENTS 

For the chicken:

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt and freshly grounded pepper
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the Marsala sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, as needed
  • 4 ounces prosciutto, thinly sliced and diced
  • 8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
  • 3 small shallots chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3/4 cup dry Marsala wine
  • 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • flat leaf parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 200°F. 

Mix the flour and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

Pound the chicken thin. Working with 1 chicken breast at a time, place inside a gallon zip-top bag and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet or rolling pin to an even 1/4-inch thickness. 

Set the flattened chicken breast aside and repeat with the remaining breasts.

Return the flattened breasts to the bag and add the flour mixture. Seal the bag and shake to coat.

Heat the oil in a 12-inch straight-sided skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. 

Add the butter, followed by 2 of the chicken breasts. Fry until golden-brown on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. 

Remove the browned chicken to a baking dish or rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 2 chicken breasts. 

Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and place in the oven to keep warm.

Keep the heat on medium-high. If there isn’t grease left from frying the chicken, add up to 2 tablespoons more butter to the pan. Lower the heat to medium and add the prosciutto to the drippings in the pan, saute for 1 minute to render out some of the fat

Add the mushrooms and cook until their juices start to release, about 3 minutes.

Add the shallots and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. 

Add the Marsala and scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any browned pieces. Add the broth and simmer until reduced by half and starting to thicken, about 15 minutes.

Add the cream and return the chicken to the sauce. Cook until the sauce thickens and the chicken is well-coated, 3 to 5 minutes.

Plate the chicken, then top it with the mushrooms and sauce, and garnish with chopped parsley. Viola, fini! 

That was easy huh!? Why go to an Italian restaurant and pay $15-20 when it’s so easy to do at home?

http://www.scoutandcellar.com/whiskawaykitchen

Blogs, Recipes

Crispy Pan-Fried Chicken

Edna Lewis, known as both the Grande Dame and Grande Doyenne of southern cooking, she was among the first African American women from the south to write a cookbook that did not hide the author’s true name, gender or race.

She was born and grew up in rural Virginia in an area called Freetown. She learned to cook from an extended family that included grandparents who had been enslaved. They didn’t have measuring spoons or scales, so instead, they used coins by piling baking powder on pennies, salt on dimes, and baking soda on nickels. This ensured the right amount was used in each dish. Interesting little tidbit: Lewis is said to have been able to tell when a cake was finished baking by listening to the sound it was making. 

She loved to use fresh, in season ingredients and characterized Southern food as fried chicken (pan, not deep-fried), pork, and fresh vegetables – most especially greens. She is a beacon of fried chicken perfection. Inspired by her pan-fried chicken, below is my pan-fried chicken recipe. 

She wrote and co-wrote four books which covered Southern cooking and life in a small community of freed slaves and their descendants. 

Dr. Edna Lewis passed away from cancer in 2006, at the age of 89. In 2014, she was  honored by the United State Postal Service with her very own postal stamp.

I encourage you to continue my research on Edna Lewis. She was an interesting lady with many talents! She actually made a dress for Marilyn Monroe!

Ingredients

  • 4 lbs. Chicken, drumsticks and thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
  • Canola oil, for frying
  • 2 cups whole milk
  • 3 large eggs
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. 

In a bowl or resealable plastic bag, place the chicken, garlic powder, paprika, red pepper flakes and dried Italian seasoning and shake to coat the chicken. Cover or seal and refrigerate 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Pour 1/2 to 1 inch of oil into a deep 12-inch cast-iron skillet and heat until a pinch of flour sizzles upon contact (about 360 degrees F). 

Set a wire rack on top of a rimmed baking sheet and set aside. 

In a bowl, whisk together the milk and eggs. 

Place the flour, a pinch of salt and 1 ½ teaspoon ground pepper in a separate bowl. Whisk to combine. 

Dip the chicken in the egg and milk mixture, drain off the excess, then dredge in the flour, shaking off the excess.

Working in batches, place the chicken skin-side down in the skillet and fry for 3 minutes without moving. Continue to fry, turning the chicken every 1 to 2 minutes to ensure even browning and cooking, until the chicken is cooked through, 11 to 15 minutes. 

Drain on the rack and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.