Herb-Crusted Chicken Breasts w/ Tomatillo Salsa
Herb-Crusted Chicken Breasts with Tomatillo Salsa
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
Salsa:
½ pound tomatillos (about 10 small)
1 serrano chile
1 garlic clove
¼ cup of chopped onion
½ cup of chopped FRESH cilantro
1 tablespoon of lime juice
½ teaspoon of salt
Chicken:
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
½ teaspoon of cumin
½ teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of ground red pepper
1 large egg
1 cup of breadcrumbs
Garnish:
½ cup of crumbled queso fresco cheese
Cilantro sprigs
Lime wedges
Stuffed Peppers
Directions
in a medium sized pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the tomatillos (husks and stems removed), garlic clove and serrano chile. Boil for 7 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine the tomatillos, garlic clove, serrano chile, cilantro, onion, lime juice and salt in a blender. Pulse until the ingredients are coarsely chopped and blended. Set aside.
Lo note: I like my salsa cold. So I put it in the refrigerator to cool and thicken while I cook the chicken.Place the chicken between heavy-duty plastic wrap and pound with a meat mallet to ½ inch thickness. Combine the cumin, salt and red pepper and sprinkle evenly on the chicken.
Lo note: I hate pounding chicken because it’s so noisy. So I usually just slice my chicken breast in half so that it’s thin. If you chose this method, just be careful to not chop your hands up in the process.
In one shallow dish, lightly wisk the egg. In another shallow dish place the bread crumbs. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, then dredge in breadcrumbs.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook until done.
Lo Note: I’m always concerned about making sure that the chicken is done and not too dry. So I tend to cook one side on medium-high for 4 minutes, then flip the meat, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for another 4 minutes, and finally to reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for another two minutes or so. Always check your chicken by poking it several times with a knife. If it’s too gummy or squishy, it’s not done cooking yet. If the knife goes through without much resistance, then the chicken is likely done.
Plate chicken, top with salsa and sprinkle queso fresco on top. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and lime wedges.