Monday 25 March 2019

Crunchy Golden Chicken Tenderloins - The Reese Witherspoon Way

These are chicken tenderloins done the Reese W. way.  I call 'em 3P chicken - made with pecans, Parmesan and panko breadcrumbs.  What a revelation.  I am not that cook who fries food, and I don't like breaded food normally but I am now a convert to panko!  Maybe it's my love of all things Japanese coming out.  Panko is the bomb, my friends.  So give this one a try.  Oh, and I forgot to tell you it is baked, not fried.  Winner, winner, chicken dinner.  Yep, I had to say that:-)




crunchy and golden and cheesy



Recipe from Reese Witherspoon's book Whiskey in a Teacup

Serves four:


ingredients:


8-10 (approx. 560g.) chicken tenderloins

sea salt flakes - maybe 1/2 tsp per side, or as you please

black pepper - about half a dozen grinds of the mill on each side, or to taste

1/2 cup good quality whole egg mayonnaise

2 tbs grain mustard

1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

1/4 cup Parmesan, grated



Method:


Start this an hour or more before you want to eat:

Grab a large baking tray/sheet and place a cake rack on top

Reese says to rinse and pat dry the chicken; I just did the pat dry thing.  Do whatever makes you happy

Season both sides of the tenderloins with salt and pepper and put aside

Stir the mayo and mustard together in a wide, shallow bowl

Put the pecans, panko and Parmesan in another wide, shallow bowl and combine well

Now coat the chicken in the mayo mixture, then roll each piece in the breadcrumb mixture

Lay the chicken pieces on the rack, and whack the whole tray in the fridge for an hour

Preheat your oven to 200C/400F, then in goes the tray with rack and chicken pieces on top for about 15 minutes

Check it to make sure the chicken is cooked right through; give it a few more minutes if not done

Serve with a green salad and/or a couscous salad


Notes:

It's really worth using the panko breadcrumbs, so try your hardest to get 'em for this dish

I suggest wearing a food-safe glove to make these!  Otherwise you will be covered with mayo and breadcrumbs up to your elbows



ingredients gathered


lay the cake rack over the baking tray



season the chicken tenderloins


have the bowls of mayo mixture and breadcrumbs ready to go 



coat the chicken in the mayo mix


then into the breadcrumb mix 


ready for baking @200C for 15 mins.



so golden and crunchy



couscous salad to go with



chunky chicken with couscous salad


Yep, the salad looks a bit beige but that's due to the unhulled tahini dressing.  I threw in a can of chickpeas too, 'cos Mr P. and I just love chickpeas.  I've now tried two of Reese's recipes, and I have been suitably impressed.  This one and the cheese crackers worked out well, and tasted delicious.  I guess I might have to try some more of them, and let you know how they go.




       pecan artwork by Sherry's Pickings


20 comments:

  1. I love that they are baked instead of fried. A healthy and very tasty meal, Sherry.

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    1. Thanks for dropping by Angie they are so tasty and moist. And so much better baked. Cheers S

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  2. Panko has lots and lots of uses! I use it on fish or boneless chicken and then lightly fry in butter. Great stuff!

    best... mae at maefood.blogspot.com

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  3. Love that they're baked. The coating sounds fabulous!

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  4. The Pickings household has come to the conclusion that Ms Witherspoon is a clever cookie. This was really delicious!

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    1. Twas indeed delicious. Thanks for dropping by Mr P.

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  5. I use Panko crumbs quite often...love the crunch they give. Now add in parmesan and pecans and that really makes the chicken extra crunchy.

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    1. yes indeed karen. super crunchy and very tasty.

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  6. We go through panko breadcrumbs so quickly here while my regular breadcrumbs languish in the freezer. There's nothing like the crunch from panko!

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    1. You’re so right Lorraine! Panko are just fabulous. I don’t fry food normally and especially not in breadcrumbs but it is fabulous as a coating - so crunchy !

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  7. Panko is wonderful! Only kind of bread crumb I buy. (More often I'll just make bread crumbs -- like you, I'm not a heavy user.) Anyway, nice dish. And I really like food-safe disposable gloves -- use them all the time!

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    1. Hi KR
      I try not to use gloves too much but they are very handy for things like this. Gotta think of the planet 🌍. Thanks for dropping by.

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  8. Panko is great for oven baking, so I know 3-Ps chicken rocks. They look crunchy and ready to dip into some buffalo sauce. The recipe is in my must make recipe box and will soon be cooked. Thanks for sharing.

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  9. Whiskey in a Teacup, is a hilarious read and has some great tips and recipes (like this one)!

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    1. hi debra
      i bet all reese's fans bought her book. it's not a bad read, but there ain't a lot of deep thinking in it. but it's just a bit of fun and a few recipes- nothing wrong with that :-)

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  10. This looks so good! Thanks for sharing this recipe with us. I can't wait to try it.

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    Replies
    1. thanks peggy. hope you enjoy it. cheers sherry

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