Pretzel Chicken

I made this recipe on Nov. 2nd. I guess with the computer crash of 09' and then the holidays I never blogged it. I am doing this for 2 reasons. 1-Its a great idea that has a lot of promise 2-Its probably the most fattening meal I have made in 09' so it deserves to not be forgotten just for the 2 lbs I probably gained by eating it. AND silly me, I just found the entry I meant to post but never did with verdict and everything. Wish I knew that sooner. Oopsie.

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken and Zucchini Strips with Cheddar-Spicy Mustard Dipping Sauce

adapted from Rachael Ray Show Dec. 26 2006

Ingredients

• 1 bag of salted pretzels, any shape
• 3 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves removed
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 eggs *** I ended up needing 3 eggs***
• 2 small, boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips 1/2-inch thick
• 2 medium to large zucchini, cut in quarters lengthwise then into strips 3 to 4 inches long
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) (eyeball it) **I don’t know how ¼ cup of EVOO would be ¼ of the way up the skillet—I guess it was a small skillet***

I halved the sauce recipe because it was just the 3 of us. It was just the right amount.

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 pound (about 2 1/2 cups) sharp yellow cheddar cheese, shredded
• 2 heaping tablespoons spicy brown mustard, such as Gulden’s
• 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 3 to 4-inch sticks
• 3 celery stalks, cut into 3 to 4-inch sticks
• 2 large sour dill pickles

Yields: 5-6 servings

Preparation

Preheat oven to 200°F.

Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until fine.

Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish, add the thyme and some pepper, and mix to combine.

Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water.

Coat the chicken breast and zucchini strips in the ground pretzels, then in egg, then in the pretzels again.

Preheat a large skillet with the EVOO, enough to go 1/4 inch up the sides of the skillet.

Add the pretzel-coated chicken breast to the hot oil.

Cook in a single layer, in two batches if necessary, about 3-4 minutes on each side, until cutlets' juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned.

Transfer the finished chicken strips to the oven to keep warm. Repeat the same process with the zucchini.

While the zucchini is frying, heat a medium saucepot over medium heat, melt butter and add the flour.

Cook flour and butter for 1 minute then whisk in the milk.

When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in cheese and mustard with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, and remove from heat.

Transfer the fried pretzel-crusted chicken and zucchini pieces to a serving plate.

Serve the mustard-cheddar sauce, carrot and celery sticks, and pickle spears alongside

VERDICT
Ok so if you know me and you follow this blog you know we don’t really eat fried food in our house. This recipe is FULL of FAT. ALL OVER THE PLACE. You cant escape it. I didn’t realize when I chose this recipe that it was really just frying the entire meal in oil. A few carrotts and celery arent going to make up for it. BUT it was good. I cant lie. The cheese sauce was awesome and would be perfect for soft pretzels too. I need to work on a lighter version because I did like the pretzel crumbs. I guess if you made these for a party or a special treat it isnt so bad but wow, that was a lot of fried everything on my plate. I just wasn’t expecting it!!!!