Spiced Almond-Crusted Chicken / Roasted Red Pepper-Pecan Sauce

By edielou

Ingredients

• SPICED ALMOND COATING:
• 1 CUP Almonds
• 1/2 Cup sesame seeds
• 2 Tbs Coriander seeds
• 2 Tbs cumin seeds
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• ROASTED RED PEPPER PECAN SAUCE:
• 1 cup pecans
• 12 oz bottled roasted red peppers (drained, coarsely chopped)
• 2 Tbs plain bread crumbs
• 3 Tbs pomegranate juice
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• CHICKEN:
• 2 egg whites ( lightly beaten together with 1 Tbs water)
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 6 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (lightly pounded)
• GARNISH:
• finely minced parsley
• finely minced red pepper

Preparation

Step 1

1) PREPARE SPICED ALMOND COATING: Place almond in a small dry skillet over medium heat and toast until fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl. Add coriander and cumin seeds to skillet and toast briefly until fragrant, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Transfer Coriander and cumin to food processor. Add almonds, sesame seeds, salt, pepper, and thyme, and pulse until finely ground, being careful not to over process to a paste. Transfer to a shallow dish.

2) PREPARE ROASTED RED PEPPER-PECAN SAUCE: Place all ingredients in food processor and process until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Transfer to a small saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

3) In a shallow dish, whisk together egg whites and water until slightly foamy. Place oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

4) Dip chicken, one piece at a time, in egg whites, allowing excess to drip off, then place in spiced almond mixture, completely coating both sides. Add chicken to skillet and cook until golden brown turning once, approximately 8 to 10 minutes. Using a wide spatula, remove chicken to a plate lined with paper towels, taking care not to disturb coating.

5) To serve, arrange chicken on platter. Spoon 1/4 cup Roasted Red Pepper-Pecan Sauce decoratively lengthwise down the center of each chicken beast, reserving any unused sauce to pass at the table for use as desired. Garnish by sprinkling parsley and red pepper around edge of platter.