Last week we were up late watching reruns of Oprah. Whenever she has food related guests we are always interested and today she had Jamie Oliver. We listened intently as he talked about his new project and reality TV program, “Food Revolution.” Ryan Seacrest of American Idol Fame is the producer. Later that week both Oliver and Searest were on Larry King Live. Seacrest shared that was a fat child and very shy.
The next logical step was to watch “Food Revolution” ourselves. It was really eye opening. Oliver is in Huntington, WV which has been labeled the unhealthiest place in America. He is on a mission to teach people about nutrition and healthy, farm fresh eating–starting in the school system.
Since we have been immersed in the local, organic, healthy food movement for a while now it is so easy to forget the arguments against it as well as the down right hostility. But Oliver, who comes off as a compassionate man and passionate advocate of both people and food, ploughs ahead. We have watched two episodes and are hooked.
I ordered some of his cookbooks from the library. Food Revolution, his most recent is out with many holds on it. But I did get Jamie at Home and I literally am astounded. Not only does it contain amazing seasonal recipes but Oliver grew most of the food himself in his own garden and so he offers growing tips and varieties (just be careful since he is in England so varieties may not be as successful here). Proeun suggested I work my way through the cookbook ala “Julie and Julia” I don’t think I am up to that, but some of the recipes will definitely grace our table and newsletter for CSA members. For more information on Oliver go to his website.
Today we are eating a recipe we saw featured on Oprah, here it is from Oprah’s website
Crunchy Garlic Chicken
This crumbing technique is so versatile—you can cook pork or even cod in exactly the same way. As there is butter in the crumb mixture, you can grill, fry, roast or bake the meat dry in the oven and it will go lovely and golden.
Servings: Serves 2
Ingredients:
Crunchy Garlic Chicken
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 lemon
- 6 cream or plain crackers , such as Jacob’s
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 4 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 heaping Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg , preferably free-range or organic
- 2 skinless chicken breast fillets , preferably free-range or organic
- Olive oil
Directions:
To prepare your chicken: Peel the garlic and zest the lemon. Put your crackers into a food processor with the butter, garlic, parsley sprigs, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz until the mixture is very fine, then pour these crumbs on to a plate. Sprinkle the flour on to a second plate. Crack the egg into a small bowl and beat with a fork. Lightly score the underside of the chicken breasts. Put a square of plastic wrap over each one and bash a few times with the bottom of a pan until the breasts flatten out a bit. Dip the chicken into the flour until both sides are completely coated, then dip into the egg and finally into the flavored crumbs. Push the crumbs on to the chicken breasts so they stick—you want the meat to be totally coated.
To cook your chicken: You can either bake or fry the chicken. If baking, preheat your oven to its highest temperature (475°), place your chicken on a sheet pan and cook for 15 minutes. If frying, put a frying pan on a medium heat, add a few good lugs of olive oil and cook the chicken breasts for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until cooked through, golden and crisp.
To serve your chicken: Either serve the chicken breasts whole, or cut them into strips and pile them on a plate. Beautiful and simple served with a lemon wedge for squeezing over, and a tiny sprinkling of salt. Great with a lovely fresh salad or simply dressed veggies.
This recipe is taken from Jamie’s Food Revolution by Jamie Oliver (Hyperion). ?? Jamie Oliver, 2009
