Sesame Coated Chicken Breasts with Watercress Salad

 RSS       SHARE

When it comes to entertaining, chicken offers cooks unlimited versatility.

You can roast, broil, grill, poach, fry or pan sear it with equally good results. Chicken offers other benefits as well.

It's a bargain compared to many of its shelf mates at the butcher counter, and breasts, in particular, are less caloric than many other meats.

Sesame-coated chicken breasts served with a peppery watercress salad is an easy and delectable way to showcase this fowl.

Boneless, skinless breasts are coated with flour, dipped in an egg mixture seasoned with sesame oil and a splash of Tabasco, then coated with plain bread crumbs and sesame seeds. Sauteed until rich golden brown, the crispy breasts are garnished with a cress salad tossed in a dressing of sesame oil, rice vinegar, and fresh ginger.

For the best results, it's important to use toasted sesame oil (which has a beautiful, deep aroma of toasted seeds) and to buy high quality chicken.

This entree, which takes only about a half hour to prep and cook, is delicious warm and equally tempting at room temperature.

As sides I served rice seasoned with Parmesan and parsley one time and a snowy white cauliflower puree another. A single recipe serves 6 -- a nice size for a summer get-together.

Sesame Coated Chicken Breasts with Watercress Salad

Serves 6

Ingredients

Salad

Preparation

Season chicken on both sides with salt and pepper.

In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs, sesame oil, and hot pepper sauce.

Spread flour on a dinner plate.

Mix together breadcrumbs and sesame seeds and spread on another dinner plate.

Dredge each breast in flour, then dip in egg mixture, then coat with sesame bread crumb mixture.

Add enough oil to just cover the bottom of a large, heavy skillet that will hold the chicken in a single layer.

(If you don't have a skillet large enough, use 2 medium skillets.)

Place over medium heat.

When oil is hot, but not smoking, add chicken and saute until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side.

Reduce heat to low and place a lid slightly ajar over skillet.

Cook 6 to 7 minutes more until chicken is cooked through.

Remove chicken and set aside.

 

For salad, whisk together vinegar, sesame oil, hot pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and ginger.

Place watercress and green onions in a salad bowl and toss with about half of the dressing or just enough to coat the greens lightly.

Season with salt.

Place a chicken breast on each of 6 dinner plates and garnish with a little watercress salad.

Drizzle chicken on each plate with some of the remaining dressing.

Note: Whole Foods sells excellent quality chicken breasts and Empire chicken, a kosher brand, is another fine product available in many supermarkets.

 RSS       SHARE

Recent Recipes

Thai Marinated Grilled Chicken Salad with Coconut-Lime Vinaigrette Recipe
Wolfgang Puck

Whether I'm serving lunch at one of my fine dining restaurants, such as Spago or Chinois, or at my casual Wolfgang Puck Expresses, I always offer some kind of Asian-inspired chicken salad.

Not only do I love the way it tastes, but my guests have come to think of such salads over the last few decades as an ideal midday main course.

Skirt Steak with Mango & Pepper Chutney Recipe
Two's Company Recipes by Bev Bennett

If you're looking for inspiration, I recommend skirt steak is one of my favorite cuts of beef for grilling. It's flavorful, cooks quickly and can beckon noses from halfway down the block.

Fresh Meals for Spring Recipes
Emma Christensen

The pickings at your local farmer's market might remain a bit slim for another few weeks, but fresh produce has finally begun to trickle in! Beyond being the first sign of good things to come, these spring vegetables can be cherished in their own right for the bright flavors they bring to our winter-weary tables.

Four Recipes: Spring Green Salad of Roasted Asparagus, Prosciutto and Fried Egg; Flatbread with New Potatoes, Ramps & Asiago; Pizza Dough; and Rhubarb Granita.

Shrimp and Bulgur Salad Recipe
Bev Bennett

Start with a whole-grain base and you can have an entree salad that's as filling as it is healthful. Bulgur and whole-wheat couscous are two of my favorite whole grains for flavor and cooking convenience. In the following Mediterranean-inspired recipe, bulgur is mixed with baby shrimp, olives and tomatoes.

Carbs and Breakfast Cereals
Lisa Tsakos

Technically there is no such thing as a low-carbohydrate cereal because cereal is made from grains, and grains are mostly carbohydrates. Today, many cereals include soy for additional protein. That leaves you with three options ...

Zucchini, Goat Cheese and Bacon Tart Recipe
Betty Rosbottom

Why is it that we don't use savory tarts as main courses more often? They often begin a meal or get their due as luncheon fare, but the truth is that they make fabulous entrees for supper, especially in the summer. The secret to a good tart is two-fold: You want a tender, flaky crust paired with a complementary filling. The Zucchini, Goat Cheese and Bacon Tart featured today is a winner on both fronts.

Sausage and Scallop Stew Recipe
Bev Bennett

If, like me, you enjoy hearty meat dishes, but want to cook simply and healthfully, I recommend you try this sausage and scallop stew.

Fun with Phyllo: Chicken-Almond Bisteeya, Open-Faced Apple Pies & Cherry Choclava Recipes
Kathy Hunt

3 Fun with Phyllo Recipes: Chicken-Almond Bisteeya, Open-Faced Apple Pies & Cherry Choclava Recipes.

Whether you're searching for exotic appetizers or just a lighter alternative to standard dessert crusts and use phyllo. Layered into stacks, this tissue-thin dough adds a bit of zest to commonplace fruit pies and a hearty crunch to vegetable, meat and cheese snacks.

Diane Rossen Worthington Recipes

(c) 2009, Diane Rossen Worthington. Distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc.