Pistachio Crusted Chicken With Mustard Cream Sauce

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Pistachio Crusted Chicken with a Mustard Cream Sauce

Did you know that pistachios sold in the United States used to be dyed red?

This practice began in the 1930s. 

California processors began dying pistachio shells red to hide blemishes and stains that occurred during harvesting.

Today that practice has all but disappeared.

And that makes me happy.

Those bright red shells did nothing to attract my attention.

Pistachios – An Ancient Seed That Packs a Powerful Protein Punch

Introduced to the United States in 1854, pistachios pack a powerful protein punch and just recently joined the ranks of a small number of plants considered by definition as a complete protein.

This means that pistachios contain all of the nine essential amino acids not produced by the human body and must be obtained through food.

It’s a nice little modern benefit for a small tree seed that originated in the Middle East thousands of years ago.

In fact pistachios are mentioned in the Bible.

And yes, pistachios are seeds not nuts despite what you may have thought all these years!

The question is in what tasty ways can you incorporate these incredibly delcious and healthy seeds into your diet besides eating them by the handful.

Toss them into a salad. Garnish a fruit dessert. Or as the star of the show in a pistacho brittle.

All of those are great. But how about giving this a try.

Give Them a Try as a Tasty Crust on Pan-Seared Chicken

As a crust on a piece of pan-seared chicken with a mustard cream sauce.

This recipe is better than finger-lickin’ good and will have your family asking if there’s enough for seconds.

Coat the chicken the with pistachio mixture and pan-sear it.

While it’s finishing in the oven, start the mustard cream sauce. The flavor profile of this beautiful sauce includes shallot, garlic, wine, whole grain mustard, basil, rosemary, with a splash of cream at the end.

Serve it with a side of sautéed green beans and you have a restaurant quality meal at a fraction of the cost.

All this is made easier with a cast iron skillet and two of my go-to cooking techniques, sauté and pan sear.

Pistachio Crusted Chicken With Mustard Cream Sauce

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Enjoy pistachios in a new quick and easy way – as a crust on pan-seared chicken. Finish this dish with a mustard cream sauce for an elegant weeknight meal.

• Author: Life At The Table
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 15 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

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• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup pistachios, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 shallot, sliced thin
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
• 1 cup cream
• 1 tablespoon dried basil
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt

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Instructions

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken

1. Heat oven to 425˚ F
2. Combine pistachios and bread crumbs together and transfer to a sheet pan
3. Season the chicken breasts with kosher salt
4. Dip the seasoned chicken into the pistachio mixture, coating both sides
5. Heat a cast iron skillet
6. Add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet
7. Add the chicken breasts and sear until golden brown
8. Turn the chicken breasts onto the other side and place in the oven for 8 minutes

While the chicken is cooking begin the mustard cream sauce:

1. In a medium sized sauté pan, sauté the shallot in olive oil
2. Add garlic and sauté until the garlic is fragrant
3. Add the white wine
4. Reduce by 2/3
5. Stir in the mustard
6. Add the cream
7. Heat through until the cream thickens
8. Season to taste

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 Chicken Breast
• Calories: 324
• Sugar: 3 g
• Sodium: 627.9 mg
• Fat: 22.9 g
• Saturated Fat: 8.7 g
• Trans Fat: 0.4 g
• Carbohydrates: 15.8 g
• Fiber: 2.7 g
• Protein: 12.3 g
• Cholesterol: 54.6 mg