Crispy Pepperoni Chicken
Imagine a topping made of crispy pepperoni and crushed pizza crust, and you’ve got pepperoni crumbs, the genius creation of Angie Rito and Scott Tacinelli, authors of the cookbook “Italian American” and chefs at Don Angie, a restaurant in New York. To make them, cook chopped pepperoni until it gives off its salty, spicy, garlicky and brawny fat, then toast bread crumbs in that fat. In the book, the crumbs are sprinkled on a wedge salad, but they do wonders for weeknight chicken, too. What simply seared chicken breasts lack in fat, flavor and texture, these crumbs make up for easily. As for sides, consider a radicchio salad, iceberg salad, roasted peppers, roasted broccoli rabe or simmered broccoli.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 to 2pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, patted dry
- Salt and pepper
- 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as canola or grapeseed, plus more as needed
- 1/2lemon or 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 2ounces pepperoni, coarsely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
- 1/2cup panko or dried coarse bread crumbs
- 1/4cup finely chopped parsley (optional)
Directions
If you’re using chicken breasts, pound them to an even 1/2-inch thickness with a heavy skillet or meat pounder.
Season the chicken breasts or thighs lightly with salt and pepper. In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Working in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan, add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden brown underneath, about 5 minutes. Flip and cook until cooked through, 2 to 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Transfer the chicken to a platter or serving plates and squeeze the lemon over the chicken.
Wipe the skillet out, or if there are burnt bits in the skillet, rinse and dry it. Return to medium heat and cook the pepperoni, stirring often, until it starts to brown and the pan looks oily, 2 to 4 minutes. Add the bread crumbs and cook, stirring often, until browned and crisp, 2 to 4 minutes. If at any point you don’t hear sizzling, that means the pan’s dry, so add more oil. (Turkey pepperoni is leaner than pork and will need additional oil.) Stir in the parsley, if using, then pile the crumbs on top of the chicken.
Nutrition
- Info
- Trans Fat: 0 gramsFat: 26 gramsCalories: 499Saturated Fat: 7 gramsUnsaturated Fat: 16 gramsSodium: 635 milligramsSugar: 1 gramFiber: 1 gramCarbohydrate: 11 gramsProtein: 52 grams
Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1023752-crispy-pepperoni-chicken