BAKED CHICKEN
SCHNITZEL WITH MUSHROOMS
Very tender and juicy chicken that is pure comfort food and a simple recipe that would be great company fare. Breaded, pounded thin chicken is briefly fried on both sides in a large skillet to golden crispy crumb perfection and arranged on top of mushrooms in a casserole dish and then a reduced chicken stock using the pan drippings is poured over top and the chicken is covered with more mushrooms and then Mozzarella cheese. The chicken stock adds flavor and moisture to the chicken as it bakes. If you want more liquid, then do not reduce it as much. I made sure there was at least 2/3 cup liquid to pour over my chicken.
Pounding the chicken breasts with a meat mallet makes them more authentically thin like chicken schnitzel is famed to be. Cook over medium-high heat briefly in pan to brown the chicken before baking to complete the cooking.
It is not a mushroom sauce or mushroom gravy as such, but the reduced stock is poured over the mushrooms and golden brown chicken. This sort of dinner is popular in Austria. You can cut down on one of the side dishes due to the mushrooms already in the meal. Since potato salad would be a good side but it is not low-carb, cauli potato salad would be lovely.
You could add some paprika to the breading for more color. If desired, serve the meal with lemon wedges.
INGREDIENTS:
Butter
Olive oil
1 lb. sliced mushrooms (0.45 kg)
1 onion, diced
1/2
tsp salt (2 mL)
1/4
tsp black pepper (1 mL)
1 tbsp minced garlic (15 mL)
3/4
cup chicken stock (175 mL)
1 cup shredded Mozzarella, OR more (250 mL)
Egg Wash:
2 large eggs
1 tbsp water (15 mL)
Chicken:
4 large chicken breasts
Breading:
1/2
cup Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2, OR almond flour (125 mL)
4 tbsp Parmesan cheese (60 mL)
1 tsp Italian seasoning (5 mL)
3/4
tsp salt (3 mL)
1/4
tsp black pepper (1 mL)
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
In large nonstick frying pan, melt about 1 tbsp (15
mL) butter and add about the same amount of olive oil. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms along with salt and pepper and
cook until moisture evaporates. Stir in
garlic and cook briefly. Put half
mushroom mixture in 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. Set the other amount aside. Add about the same amount of butter and olive
oil to the pan
Egg Wash: In small bowl, whisk eggs and water together.
Chicken: Cut chicken breasts that are very thick and large in half longitudinally, but not all the way through. Other chicken breasts that are smaller, leave them as is. Cover chicken breasts with plastic wrap and using a meat mallet or or can of food pound them thinner, and thus larger.
In small bowl, combine Gluten-Free Bake Mix 2,
Parmesan cheese, Italian seasoning, salt and black pepper.
Using 2 chicken breasts, that have been pounded thin, at a time, dip them in the egg wash, letting the excess drip
off, and then spoon the breading over them on both sides. In some olive oil, cook the chicken in a
large, good nonstick frying pan. Cook on
both sides over medium heat about 2 minutes each side. Repeat - i.e. cook in 2 batches.
Arrange semi-cooked chicken over mushrooms in dish. Once all chicken cutlets have been removed from the frying pan, pour in the chicken stock/broth. Scrape pan to loosen up bits.
Allow chicken stock to reduce
to about 2/3 cup (150 mL), scraping the browned bits into
the liquid. Watch it as the liquid
evaporates fairly quickly. Place
remaining mushrooms on top of the chicken breasts. Pour over the reduced chicken stock. Sprinkle with Mozzarella cheese. Bake uncovered about 20 to 25 minutes or until
chicken is cooked through. Garnish with
chopped fresh parsley or green onions.
Yield: 8 servings
1
serving
201.8
calories
22.8
g protein
9.3
g fat
1.0 g fiber
5.3 g net carbs