who knew!....a panko crusted chicken fillet.. with fennel salad........at kitchen! kitchen!.

A panko crusted chicken fillet with fennel dill

salad and a side of potato crisps.. who knew!!...

The pairing of the fennel  salad with dill added 

a certain freshness with a hint of "licorice"

flavor to the chicken.  It is just absolutely divine!

Another night of making use of what I have on hand without rushing to the supermarket in a frenzy.

So what I have are:

1 thawed chicken breast - thinly sliced (and that stretched to 4 pieces and cooks in minutes)
1 teaspoon of my amazing rub
1 tablespoon of buttermilk (I am never without one - a good substitute for sour cream and yogurt too)
Combine the above to soak the chicken in  -  in a bowl

Prepping up the chicken fillets:

4 tablespoons of canola oil
1 cup of panko in a bowl (these are Japanese bread crumbs and they are very light and airy)
Heat canola oil in a large skillet on medium heat (get all 4 pieces in without crowding).  Dredge thoroughly the chicken pieces in panko and gently put them in the hot skillet - about 2 minutes on each side. Don't be tempted to turn them prematurely - just leave those "lovely ladies" alone until you see the sides start to brown - that's your clue to turn them over.  Aren't we ladies good in giving clues??  Drain on a paper towel.
Leave the pan on low and remove the brown bits - we are using the same pan and oil for the potato crisps.

For the fennel dill salad:

Half a bulb of fennel (which is what I have on hand)

My way of dealing with the fennel bulb...

..by wrapping the fennel bulb in a doubled up, very moist paper towel and microwave it for 40 seconds without cooking it,. Another way is by poaching it in a hot water for a less than a minute.  I do this to lessen the "licorice" taste of the fennel. Wipe dry and let cool.  Slice and pour some of the dressing and toss.

For the Dressing:

1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard
1 teaspoon of white vinegar (dilute with a little water if necessary)
Pinch of salt
1-1/2 teaspoons of fresh chopped dill
Whisk vigorously to combine and taste to correct seasoning.
Potato crisps....
1 medium young golden potato (washed and leave skin on)
Cut in half and......yes... we are going to precook them in the microwave. Put them in a bowl covered with a moist paper towel and nuke it for 1 minute.  Let cool and slice thinly. Heat up the pan with oil to medium high and brown the slices of potato until brown.  Drain on a paper towel.

*The recipe serves only 1 son with a hearty appetite *for 2-4 people - double the recipe*