Crunchy Parmesan Chicken

This is a great recipe for picnics, pot luck dinners or for when you’re expecting a crowd for dinner. The chicken can be served hot, room temperature or cold. This dish is adapted from an Australian cookbook called, ‘Coast‘ and this recipe is from chef Kate Lamont of Lamont’s East Perth restaurant. I haven’t eaten at this restaurant, but if the food and wine is anything like the restaurants in Margaret River, you will most certainly want to stop in for a bite!

Serves 6
9 tomatoes, cut in half
olive oil for drizzling
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 stalks of rosemary, leaves picked
4 stalks of thyme, leaves picked
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 chicken pieces (thighs and breast)
125g melted butter

Salad
3 tablespoons chardonnay vinegar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
assorted lettuce leaves
24 asparagus spears, blanched
3 avocados, halved and sliced

Preheat oven to 120c (250f). Place tomato halves, cut side up, on a baking tray, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, rosemary and thyme. Bake for 1 hour or until tomatoes have shrunk by half. Remove and set aside then increase oven temperature to 180c (350f).

In a bowl, mix together breadcrumbs, parsley and Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Dip chicken pieces in melted butter then roll in the crumb mixture. Place chicken in a baking dish and bake for 40-45 minutes. For the salad, make a dressing by combining the vinegar with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss salad leaves in the dressing.

To serve, place some salad leaves on each of six plates and arrange two roasted tomato halves, four asparagus spears and some sliced avocado on the leaves. Top with more salad leaves, another tomato half and more avocado. Rest two chicken pieces on top of the salad.

The Culinary Chase’s Note: I used deboned chicken thighs and the meat cooked this way was very tender and moist. Add a bit of freshly chopped rosemary to the bread crumb mixture for added flavor.