TGIFriday's Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad
Don't let the lengthy directions fool you; this salad is not difficult to prepare. Pecan-crusted chicken, served sliced and chilled on salad greens, tossed with Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing, topped with mandarin oranges, sweet-glazed pecans, celery, dried cranberries, and Bleu cheese. Time does not include chill time. I borrowed a friend's cookbook entitled Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 and wanted to put this recipe here so that I wouldn't lose it.
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INGREDIENTS
NutritionPecan-Crusted Chicken
- 1⁄2
- 1⁄2cup corn flake crumbs
- 3⁄4teaspoon salt
- 1cup milk
- 2
- 1
- 1⁄2cup canola oil
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1cup canola oil
- 1⁄3cup balsamic vinegar
- 4teaspoons Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard
- 4teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1⁄2teaspoon salt
- 2teaspoons minced garlic
Salad
- 1
- 3tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1⁄2cup finely chopped pecans
- 12
- 1
- 2
- 1⁄2
DIRECTIONS
- Make the pecan-crusted chicken first since it is served cold.
- Pound each chicken fillet to about 1/2-inch thick. You can do this easily by covering each chicken breast in plastic wrap, and pounding with a kitchen mallet.
- Combine 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans, corn flake crumbs, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a shallow bowl.
- Combine milk with beaten eggs in another shallow bowl.
- Dump the flour into another shallow bowl.
- Bread each chicken breast by coating each with flour.
- Dip the flour-dusted chicken into the egg mixture.
- Coat the chicken with a thick coating of the pecans and corn flake crumbs.
- Preheat 1/2 cup canola oil in a large skillet over medium/low heat.
- When the oil is hot, saute the chicken fillets for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Cool chicken on a rack or paper-towels.
- When you can handle the chicken, cover it and refrigerate it for at least two hours.
- As the chicken chills, you can make the balsamic vinaigrette by combining 1 cup canola oil, balsamic vinegar, mustard, granulated sugar and 1/2 tsp salt in a blender.
- Blend on low speed for just a few seconds, or until the dressing begins to thicken. Don't blend too long or your vinaigrette will get too thick, like mayonnaise.
- Pour vinaigrette into a small bowl and mix in minced garlic.
- Chill this until you're ready to use it.
- When you're ready to build your salad, toss lettuce and celery with about 3/4 cup of the balsamic vinaigrette.
- Arrange the lettuce on four plates, then sprinkle the cranberries over the lettuce (about 1/4 cup per serving).
- Combine the 3 tablespoons of brown sugar with 1/2 cup finely chopped pecans.
- Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the mixture on each salad.
- Sprinkle about 1/2 can of drained mandarin orange segments over each salad, followed by about 2 tablespoons of crumbled bleu cheese.
- Slice each chicken fillet into thin strips. Arrange one sliced chicken fillet on top of each salad and serve.