Chicken Katsu with Seed & Nut Crust and Asian Slaw
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Serves 4
A favourite Japanese dish has been given a healthy makeover. This nutritious nut and seed crust is really delicious and looks beautiful plus it provides zinc and iron to help build a healthy immune system. Vegetarians can replace the chicken with thick slices of tofu. Fresh fish fillets are wonderful with this crumb too!
2 free-range chicken breasts
1 cup flour (use GF, tapioca or regular)
2 free-range eggs – lightly whisked
Crumb
½ cup Alison’s Pantry Shredded Coconut
½ cup Alison’s Pantry Ground Almonds
2 Tbsp Alison’s Pantry Flaxseed
2 Tbsp Alison’s Pantry Chia Seed
2 Tbsp Alison’s Pantry Sesame Seeds
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp salt
Cracked black pepper
Slaw
½ cup Alison’s Pantry Pumpkin Seeds
½ cup Alison’s Pantry Roast Unsalted Cashews – roughly chopped
½ green cabbage – sliced thinly (ideally on a mandoline)
1 medium carrot grated
½ red capsicum – thinly sliced
2 tbsp each soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil
1 Tbsp each tahini, apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp finely grated ginger root
1 garlic clove – finely diced
Cracked black pepper and sea salt as needed.
Oil for cooking schnitzel
To serve: avocado slices, additional sesame seeds to garnish as desired
- Cut each chicken breast in half widthways so that you have 4 thinner pieces. Place each piece between 2 pieces of baking paper and use a meat mallet (or rolling pin or heavy saucepan) to beat until 1 1/2 cm thick.
2. Place all the crumb ingredients into a medium-sized bowl shallow bowl and mix well.
3. To prepare for coating the chicken, layout one plate with the flour, a medium-sized shallow bowl with the egg, and then the shallow bowl/plate with the crumb.
4. Coat each piece of chicken in flour, followed by the egg wash, and then coat well in the crumb. Repeat until all the chicken is coated. Set aside until ready to cook.
5. Make the dressing for the slaw by whisking together the soy sauce, sesame oil, olive oil, tahini, vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Taste and add cracked black pepper and additional soy sauce if needed.
6. Place the pumpkin seeds in a dry saute pan over medium heat and toast gently for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Set aside to cool.
7. Heat a generous glug of olive oil in a saute pan over medium-low heat. It’s really important to not cook the chicken at too high a temperature as the nut crust will burn easily. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and no longer pink inside. Repeat this process, adding oil as needed, until all the chicken is cooked.
8. Toss the cabbage, carrot, capsicum, Alison’s Pantry Pumpkin Seeds, and Alison’s Pantry Roast Unsalted Cashews with half of the dressing.
9. Divide the salad between 4 plates. Top each with a piece of chicken (sliced if you prefer) and avocado slices. The remaining dressing can be used for drizzling over the chicken as desired.