Gluten Free Crusty Chicken and Creamy Provencale Sauce, or, How to Really Enjoy Sunday Dinner

There's always that question hanging in the air every night...what could I do with this chicken? Pretty much everyone has their own favorite ways of preparing chicken. Pretty much everyone eats chicken. And pretty much everyone gets tired of eating the same old chicken at some point during their lives. Yesterday I decided to try making chicken a new way with a homemade sauce that I was sure was culinary originality at it's best. But then I skimmed through my favorite cookbook and found out it was really Sauce Provencale with a little buttermilk added in. Oh well, great minds think alike, right? Of course, I was in total kamikaze cooking mode and forgot to take pictures of the ingredients until all the chicken was in the pan, so I only have this one of the aftermath. And the beauty of this chicken is you make it with only one pan. The good news just keeps on comin'.

Crusty Chicken and Creamy Provencale Sauce

For the chicken:

4 chicken breasts or chicken cutlets (cutlets cook in about 6-8 minutes, so be careful not to overcook)

1 cup Grandpa's Kitchen flour

1 beaten egg

1 cup Glutino Original crackers, crushed finely (I use a large ziploc bag and a rolling pin. Just let the anger out on those crackers.)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

1 tsp italian seasoning

pinch salt

pinch pepper

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

Rinse chicken and pat dry. (Don't use frozen chicken, the batter won't stick.) Heat oil to medium heat in a large frypan. Put flour, egg, and cracker crumbs into three separate bowls or dishes, assembly line style. Add parmesan, spices, and salt and pepper to cracker crumbs. Mix gently to incorporate. Dip the chicken into the flour, coating evenly. Then dip into egg, then into crackers, coating evenly. Place chicken into oil. You should hear a bubbling, sizzling sound when it goes in. That way you know the oil is hot enough. Let brown on one side for 3-4 minutes, then flip with tongs. (You should always use tongs instead of forks when working with meat. If you pierce the meat, the juices run out and your meat is dry.) Let cook on the other side 3-4 minutes until brown. If chicken is not cooked all the way through yet, cover pan with lid and let steam for 5 minutes. Remove chicken from oil when cooked through and no pink is present.

For the sauce:

3 green onions, chopped

2-3 tomatoes, diced

1 clove garlic

6 button mushrooms, coarsely chopped or halved

1/4 cup chicken broth

1/8 cup white cooking wine

1/4-1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tsp cornstarch

Add the chopped onions to the oil from the chicken at med-low heat and let cook down for two or three minutes, until soft. Add the garlic, stir for just a minute. Add tomatoes and mushrooms. Let cook down for about three minutes, until soft. Add chicken broth, cooking wine, and buttermilk. Let sauce reduce down for 5-10 minutes until desired consistency. If desired, add 2 tsp of cornstarch to thicken sauce.

Happy eating!