Coconut-Crusted Chicken with Cashew-Curry Sauce

Now that's an alliteration if I've ever heard one.  Try to say that 10 times fast! 

I've been intrigued by this recipe ever since I saw it in my subscription to Cooking Light.  I'm not a big fan of coconut but I like coconut shrimp and thought this might be similar.  The recipe does have a lot of ingredients but most of them we have in our pantry. I think I only needed to buy chicken for this recipe.  You might not have as many ingredients in your pantry, and may be turned off by the number of ingredients, which I understand. 

I'll save you the trouble of buying the ingredients, this was another 'meh' recipe.  Now I will say that I like bold flavors, so if you like delicate flavors this may be your dish.  The chicken was delicious, I would make it again and serve it with another sauce.  And I probably would, if Cooking Light didn't have a bunch of other similar recipes that are panko-coated chicken tenders.  I expected way more flavor out of this sauce and was let down.

As of today's post, 18 people gave this an average rating of four out of 5. 

This is probably one of those 'decide for yourself' type of recipes. It's not awful but I can see how some people might like it.

Recipe by Jackie Mills, Cooking Light, May 2009

• YIELD: 4 servings (serving size: 1 chicken breast half and 3 tablespoons sauce)

Ingredients

• Chicken:
• 4 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
• 3/4 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)
• 1/2 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
• 1 large egg white, lightly beaten
• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• Sauce:
• 3/4 cup light coconut milk
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon red curry paste
• 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/3 cup chopped dry-roasted cashews
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 4 lime wedges (optional)
• 4 cilantro sprigs (optional)

Preparation

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°.
• 2. To prepare chicken, sprinkle chicken evenly with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Combine 2 tablespoons cornstarch and red pepper in a large zip-top plastic bag. Combine panko and flaked coconut in a shallow dish. Place egg white in another shallow dish. Add chicken to bag; seal and shake well to coat evenly. Remove from bag; discard remaining cornstarch mixture. Dip 1 chicken breast half in egg white; dredge in panko mixture. Repeat procedure with remaining 3 chicken breast halves, egg white, and panko mixture.
• 3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Place skillet in oven. Bake at 400° for 8 minutes or until done.
• 4. To prepare sauce, combine coconut milk, sugar, curry paste, and 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch in a small bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, ginger, and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add coconut milk mixture; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or just until slightly thick, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in cashews, juice, and fish sauce. Garnish each serving with 1 lime wedge and 1 cilantro sprig.

Nutritional Information

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• Amount per serving
• Calories: 376
• Fat: 15.4g
• Saturated fat: 5.8g
• Monounsaturated fat: 5.8g
• Polyunsaturated fat: 2.4g
• Protein: 43.8g
• Carbohydrate: 15.4g
• Fiber: 1.1g
• Cholesterol: 99mg
• Iron: 2.4mg
• Sodium: 772mg
• Calcium: 34mg

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