Rev: Coconut-Crusted Chicken with Cashew-Curry Sauce CL 5/09

[Pony]

I searched to see if there was a review, but couldn't find one.

We had this last week and loved it. I loved the way the chicken was sauteed and then baked resulting in a moist chicken breast! We loved breading it w/ the coconut and panko. Cashew-curry sauce was awesome, however, we used regular coconut milk and we doubled the sauce. I don't see how there would have been enough sauce with the written recipe. We served it w/ rice.


Coconut-Crusted Chicken with Cashew-Curry Sauce


Besides their abundant monounsaturated fat, cashews also contribute a pleasing crunch to the sauce. The chicken and sauce gain a flavor and texture lift with flaked coconut and light coconut milk.


Chicken:
4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
1/2 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1 large egg white, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons canola oil

Sauce:
3/4 cup light coconut milk
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon red curry paste
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon canola oil
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted cashews
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons fish sauce
4 lime wedges (optional)
4 cilantro sprigs (optional)


1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. To prepare chicken, sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and red pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Combine panko and flaked coconut in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake well to coat evenly. Remove from bag; discard remaining cornstarch mixture. Dip 1 chicken breast half in egg white; dredge in panko mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 chicken breast halves, egg white, and panko mixture.

3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place skillet in oven. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until done.

4. To prepare sauce, combine coconut milk, sugar, curry paste, and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, ginger, and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add coconut milk mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or just until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cashews, juice, and fish sauce. Garnish each serving with 1 lime wedge and 1 cilantro sprig.



Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 3 tablespoons sauce)

CALORIES 376 ; FAT 15.4g (sat 5.8g,mono 5.8g,poly 2.4g); CHOLESTEROL 99mg; CALCIUM 34mg; CARBOHYDRATE 15.4g; SODIUM 772mg; PROTEIN 43.8g; FIBER 1.1g; IRON 2.4mg

Cooking Light, MAY 2009

[misskitty100]

This looks awesome!

I do have a question about the coconut milk. Do you use the watery stuff in the bottom of the can, the thicker stuff on top or mixture of the two?

[Pony]

I shake the can before opening and pour out the correct amount.

[BeachBum]

Originally Posted by misskitty100

This looks awesome!

I do have a question about the coconut milk. Do you use the watery stuff in the bottom of the can, the thicker stuff on top or mixture of the two?

Shake the can before opening...that way you are getting a mixture of the two. It has just separated sitting on the shelf.

[blazedog]

The reason why people think the sauce servings are minimal is because food isn't intended to be smothered with sauce unless it's specifically some kind of pasta -- and even with pasta, the sauce isn't served in copious amounts in an Italian restaurant.

Take a look at some of the food programs like Top Chef and you will see that sauce is used to accent the food and is served in fairly minimal quantities.

[BeachBum]

Thanks for bringing this one to my attention. It was soooo good! You were right, the chicken was very moist...and I even overcooked it.

[Valerie226]

I thought I'd like this but didn't. DH liked it though.

The combo of coconut /panko had a dry mouthfeel and it needed more sauce. but lots more sauce would make it not very "light".
I maybe compounded the problem by serving it with rice. We also had corn and watermelon but I was just struck with the dry sensation of the panko/coconut. so although the recipe "worked" I didn't enjoy it.

[lindaofthelakes]

We enjoyed this one a lot also but it wasn't as mouthwatering as I expected from the name. I DID double the sauce and was generous with the cashews.(I did, however, use the lite coconut milk)