Shelly's Recipe

PECAN CRUSTED CHICKEN WITH BOURBON SAUCE AND ROASTED GARLIC MASHED POTATOES

Category: Chicken

1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 cup dried bread crumbs (made from day-old Italian bread)
6 whole chicken breasts (10 to 12 oz per breast), halved, skinned, boned and trimmed
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) clarified butter or vegetable oil (about)
1 cup Bourbon Sauce (see recipe)
Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes (see recipe)

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine pecans and bread crumbs in a shallow dish for dredging. Season chicken with salt and pepper to taste.

Dip chicken pieces in buttermilk, then dredge in crumb mixture, patting to coat.

Heat butter in a large skillet; place coated chicken breasts in the butter. Do not crowd. Cook over medium heat in batches if needed, adding additional butter as needed. Cook chicken until lightly browned on both sides, turning once after about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a baking pan and bake in preheated oven 5 to 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Chicken should be firm to the touch but not hard. While chicken bakes, make Kentucky Bourbon Sauce and Garlic Mashed Potatoes.

To serve: Place chicken breasts on a warm plate and serve with Kentucky Bourbon Sauce and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes. Serves 6

Bourbon Sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup bourbon
1 cup seasoned chicken stock
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cold water
4 tbsp whipping cream

In a small saucepan, combine syrup and bourbon. Heat to simmer, and then reduce by half. Add stock and return to a boil. Combine cornstarch and water in a dish and mix well. Add to boiling mixture. Simmer until thickened, about 1 minute, then add cream and heat through.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
6 large Idaho potatoes, peeled, cut, boiled until fork tender and drained
6 tbsp (3/4 stick) butter
1 to 2 tbsp roasted garlic (see note)
Salt and pepper to taste

Mash potatoes with butter, garlic, salt and pepper by hand. Do not whip with electric mixer. Potatoes should have small pieces in them.

Note: To roast garlic, trim ends from one bulb of garlic. Drizzle bulb with olive oil. Set in a small metal pan, cover pan with foil and bake at 325 for 1 hour or until garlic is soft.