September 24: Pretzel-Crusted Chicken Breasts with a Cheddar-Mustard Sauce

4 medium (quart-size) plastic food storage bags
4 small whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 5-ounce bag of salted pretzels, any shape
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
   Freshly ground black pepper
2 eggs
   Vegetable oil, for frying
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 cup grated sharp yellow Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese
1 heaping tablespoon spicy brown mustard, such as Gulden's
   Coarse salt
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
1/4 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1 large sour dill pickle, finely chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges

Sprinkle a little water into the food storage baggies. Place 1 chicken breast in each bag and seal it up, pushing out excess air. Use a mallet or the bottom of a heavy pot or pan and pound each breast until flat, just shy of busting out of the bag. Repeat with the other 3 chicken breasts.

Place the pretzels in a food processor or blender and grind until fine. Transfer the ground pretzels to a shallow dish and add the thyme and some pepper. Crack and beat 2 eggs in a second shallow dish with a splash of water.

Working with 1 pounded chicken breast at a time, coat the breast in the ground pretzels, then in the eggs, then in the pretzels again. Preheat a large skillet with 1/4 inch of vegetable oil; add the pretzel-coated chicken breasts to the hot oil. Cook in a single layer, in 2 batches if necessary, about 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until the cutlets' juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned.

While the chicken is frying, in a medium sauce pot over medium heat, melt the butter and add the flour to it. Cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the milk. When the milk comes to a bubble, stir in the cheeses and mustard with a wooden spoon. Season with a little salt and pepper and remove the cheese sauce from the heat.

Transfer the fried pretzel-crusted chicken breasts to serving plates, drizzle with the cheddar-mustard sauce, and then sprinkle with a little parsley, finely chopped onions, and finely chopped pickles. Serve immediately, with lemon wedges alongside.

4 SERVINGS

These chicken breasts are delicious, albeit very fatty. I love the pretzel coating, and the cheese sauce is delicious when it's hot. It's not that great once it cools down though. The pickles, onions, and lemon were necessary to balance out the fattiness of it. I did make 1 change to the recipe: I halved all the ingredients of the sauce, because it just makes way too much, especially when the recipe calls for you to "drizzle" the sauce on (not drench it in sauce). RR says: "Yup, this was a really good idea. Serve with oil-and-vinegar dressed slaw salad."