Paper Palate

The March issue of Olive had a lovely sounding pair of recipes that I tried, but really would only repeat with substantial changes. Problematic as they were, they did turn out looking pretty on the plate, as you can see below. The ideas behind the recipes were sound, but the methods given were not quite accurate.

Parmesan Chicken with Lemon Courgettes

Olive Mar 06 issue
Red onion 1, sliced
Courgettes 2, sliced
Olive oil
Tomatoes 2, cut into thin wedges
Lemon 1/2 juiced, 1/2 cut into wedges
Basil a small handful
Chicken breast fillets 2
Egg white 1, lightly whisked
Parmesan 50g, finely grate

- Fry the onion and courgettes in 2 tbsp of olive oil for 8 minutes, until golden. Add the tomatoes, lemon juice, basil and season. Cook until the tomatoes are heated through, transfer to a dish to keep warm.
- Slice each chicken fillet into 2 thin pieces. Dip into the egg white and coat both sides in parmesan.
- Wipe out the pan, add 1 tbsp oil and cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side over a high heat until crisp. Serve with the courgettes and lemon wedges. Serves 2.

I must admit straight up to being disappointed with this recipe. Firstly, I had problems cooking the parmesan coated breasts, with most of the cheese sticking to the pan in a layer. There were two reasons for this I think – the oil wasn’t hot enough, and there wasn’t enough of it. When I raised the heat, the chicken and what was left of the coating did crisp, but I had to add more oil. Two tablespoons is the optimal quantity for cooking them in, rather than just one. The oil did spit a lot though, so it’s definitely not a dish I’d recommend for a beginning cook.

On the vegetable side of things, the courgette salad actually tasted better reheated the next day for lunch, after the taste had mellowed a bit.

All that said, the definite flaw in this recipe was the lemon. I like lemon as a flavouring but it was much too strong in the salad and clashed unpleasantly with the courgette when eaten fresh. Also the squeeze of juice over the chicken just gave the dish the taste and impression of a poor man’s fried fish. A rather ignominious end for a good quality piece of meat.

The parmesan coating was a nice idea and I’ll definitely give that another try – I can see it being immensely popular with any cheese or salt-loving friends. If I were to repeat the recipe again however, I’d cook the vegetables the day before or severely reduce the lemon amount; cook the chicken hotter in double the amount of oil; and lastly, definitely not use lemon as a garnish.

Of course, if you’re lemon-crazy, this will be the perfect dish for you!

Total: £10.34. Red onion 35p, Courgettes £1.10, Olive oil 90p, Tomatoes 75p, Lemon 25p, Basil 30p, Organic Chicken Breast x2 £5.60, Egg 24p, Parmesan 85p

A bit pricey for a very average meal.