NEW ORLEANS —
Smothered Chicken
- 5 strips thick cut bacon
- 2 chicken breasts, boneless
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil, for frying.
Coating
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup breadcrumbs, plain or Italian
- 1 tsp. seasoned salt
- ¾ tsp. black pepper
Gravy
- 4 Tbsp. butter
- 4 Tbsp. flour
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 cup mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/3 cup half and half
- 1 tsp. soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Creole seasoning
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
- Green onions and parsley for garnish
Directions
- Add chicken coating ingredients to a large plate and toss to combine. Set aside.
- Fry bacon over medium-low heat until crispy on both sides. Remove from pan and pour grease into a heat-safe bowl. Reserve 2-4 Tbsp. of clear bacon drippings.
- While the bacon cooks, slice each chicken breast in half lengthwise to create 2 thinner slices. Place plastic wrap over them and use a meat tenderizer to pound them to about 3/4 inches thick.
- Wipe the chicken dry and coat generously in the flour mixture.
- Add the reserved bacon drippings to the clean pan and add 1/4” of vegetable oil. Heat over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Fry 2 at a time for about 5 minutes per side, until they have a nice golden sear. Set aside on a plate.
- Melt the butter over medium heat, sprinkle the flour gradually, whisking continuously and cook roux to a light tan.
- Add onions and mushrooms stirring for 3-5 minutes.
- Add the stock slowly, while stirring to keep the roux smooth.
- Add the half and half, soy sauce and seasonings.
- Bring to a gentle boil then reduce to a simmer. Add chicken to the pan along with any juice from the plate. Chop the bacon and add it on the top of the chicken.
- Reduce heat and cook the chicken 10- 15 minutes until internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees.
- Garnish with green onions, parsley and serve.
Oven-Roasted Asparagus
- 1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed
- 3 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 tsp. kosher salt
- ½ tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Directions
- Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.
- Place the asparagus into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the olive oil. Toss to coat the spears, then sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, garlic, salt and pepper. Arrange the asparagus onto a baking sheet in a single layer.
- Bake in the preheated oven until just tender, 12 to 15 minutes depending on thickness. Sprinkle with lemon juice just before serving.
Note
Remember to remove woody ends of the asparagus because they’re very tough.