Month-of-Chicken: NotFried Chicken

Do love the crispy coating on a piece of fried chicken about as much as what lies underneath? Me, too. But, sigh, we ALL know, don’t we, that that is not the wisest food choice.

What’s a tongue to do?

Well, you can simulate that crispy crunch with an oven-baked version that is savory and fights back more than limp skin. Try this one tonight, and see if it doesn’t satisfy that hankering for fried chicken sorta, kinda.

NotFried Chicken (serves 6)

1 c buttermilk

6 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

3 T olive oil

2 clove garlic, minced

1 c seasoned dry bread crumbs

1 c Asiago cheese, shredded

1 t tarragon, dried

Soak chicken in buttermilk for several hours.

Preheat oven to 350º. Pam a baking dish.

Mix oil and garlic. In another bowl, combine bread crumbs with the cheese and tarragon.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Spread oil mixture over each piece then press into bread crumb mixture. Place in baking dish. Pour any remaining crumb mixture over top of the chicken. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until juices run clear (about 165º).

I like to serve this with whole wheat egg noodles tossed with a sautéed mixture of olive oil, garlic slices, and green onions.

DH’s Rating: 4 Tongues Up. Moist, tender with a crispy crust. He didn’t like the tarragon flavor (“too green”). Next time I’ll use basil.