Garlic and chicken are wonderful partners. They go together beautifully. Just think of Chicken Kiev and you will know what I am talking about.
And by that I am not talking about those minced reformed chicken pieces shaped around garlic butter that you can get in the frozen food aisle of the shops. I am talking about real chicken breasts, filled with a nice nugget of garlic butter, breaded and then flash fried until golden brown . . . perfectly cooked through so that when you puncture the chicken with your knife an fork, all that golden garlic butter oozes out onto your plate. Oh boy but it is some good . . . but I digress.
This is not chicken kiev . . . this is tender moist chicken breast fillets, pounded and breaded with seasoned and herbed bread crumbs, and then browned until golden brown all over and cooked through . . .
Then napped with a lucious garlicky, cheesy sauce . . .
Every mouthful bringing you a delicious mix of crispy moist and tender chicken . . . and some of that beautifully rich and creamy sauce . . . do take care when you are making the sauce not to brown or burn the garlic. It turns nasty if you do. If you burn the garlic, throw it away and start over . . .
Personally once I get the sauce thickened, I like to strain out the garlic . . . leaving the sauce velvety smooth . . . with just the flavor of the garlic permeating it . . . infusing it with all that lovely buttery garlic taste . . . .
You could use already seasoned bread crumbs, Italian ones . . . but I like to make my own, adding my own herbs and seasonings. Don't pound your chicken too thin . . . you want the meat to keep its shape. You only want to tenderize it a tiny bit.
Just get it golden brown in the skillet. You don't need to cook it all the way through. It will be finished off in the oven while you make that beautiful sauce. I like to serve this with some rice and mixed vegetables, or maybe a salad. I think you will agree this is a winning combo!
*Creamy Garlic Sauced Chicken*Serves 4 Printable Recipe
Tender and moist chicken cutlets with a fabulously rich and tasty garlic sauce. This is special.
For the chicken:4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts120ml single cream or half and half (1/2 cup)120g to 180g dry bread crumbs (I use panko) (1 - 1 1/2 cups)1/2 tsp garlic powder1/2 tsp onion powder1/2 tsp dried basil flakes1/4 tsp dried oregano flakes1/4 tsp dried marjoram flakessalt and black pepper to taste2 TBS oil
For the sauce:2 TBS butter2 TBS plain flour2 TBS finely minced fresh garlic120ml chicken stock (1/2 cup)240ml single cream (1 cup half and half)60g cream cheese (2 ounces)45g finely grated parmesan cheese (1/4 cup)1 tsp fine sea salt mixed with 1/4 tsp ground white pepper
Mix together the bread crumbs, garlic and onion powder, basil, oregano, marjoram and salt and black pepper in a large flat bowl. Place the cream in another bowl. Pound your chicken breasts, on each side, between two sheets of plastic cling film to tenderize.
Dip the breasts into the cream to coat, allowing any excess to drip off. Roll them in the seasoned bread crumbs to coat. Place aside on a wire rack to dry for about 10 minutes.
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat, until hot. Brown the chicken well on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Take care not to burn it.
Preheat the oven to 180*C/350*f/ gas mark 4. Place the cooked chicken onto a baking sheet which you have lined with baking paper. Place into the oven to finish cooking it through while you make the sauce.
To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan until it begins to foam. Add the garlic. Cook, stirring over medium low heat until fragrant without allowing it to brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook for a further 2 minutes. Whisk in the chicken stock, and then the cream, whisking constantly, until thickened. (At this point I like to strain it through a sieve so that I can remove any bits of garlic, but you can leave them in if you wish) Whisk the cream cheese, and parmesan into the thickened sauce, stirring to melt the cheeses. Mix together your salt and pepper and whisk this in. Taste and adjust seasoning as required.
Divide the chicken between four heated dinner plates and spoon a portion of sauce over each. Serve immediately. I like to have rice and vegetables with this.
Just look at that moist, perfectly cooked chicken . . . with its crispy coating and that beautifully silky sauce. Oh boy but this is some good eating! Bon Appetit!
