Pistachio-Crusted Chicken with Herbs (and Mustard Cream Sauce)

I came across this recipe a while ago, and bookmarked it to try another time. I was at the store over the weekend, and saw a bag of pistachios, which immediately brought my memory back to this dish. However, I highly recommend you buy pistachios already shelled as it took me a bit of time to crack open each pistachio to get a cup worth’s of nuts. And that way… you won’t get disappointed when you come across those shells that are not cracked at all and can’t be opened. Another recommendation I have is to butterfly/split/cut the chicken breasts in half, or you could use chicken tenders. I find the chicken is more tender when they’re a little thinner, and quite frankly, I just prefer them that way. In a nutshell (no pun intended), I found the combination of the herb mustard mixture combined with the pistachio-panko crust was simply divine! Oh, and when paired with the mustard cream sauce… WOW!!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup shelled raw pistachios (about 4 ounces)
• 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 4 tbsp. Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp. light mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp. honey
• 2 tbsp. chopped fresh basil (or 2 tsp. dried)
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill (or 1 tsp. dried)
• 1 tsp. chopped fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp. dried)
• 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves, butterflied
• Mustard cream sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Finely grind nuts in processor. Add Panko and blend, using on/off turns.
3. Transfer to shallow baking dish or bowl.
4. Mix mustard, mayo, honey, basil, dill and rosemary in medium bowl.
5. Spread mustard mixture over both sides of each chicken breast.
6. Dip chicken breasts into nut mixture, coating completely. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
7. Transfer chicken to baking sheet.
8. Bake chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes.
9. Spoon Mustard-Cream Sauce over chicken and serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Bon Appétit

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