“Fried” Chicken with Country Gravy

Milk-based gravy can be found in all cuisines across the country but no more so than throughout the south.  It's used to top all sorts of dishes but a plate of coutnry-fried chicken just wouldn't be served without a generous portion of this gravy poured on top.  Now I'm all for a good dose of fat every now and then but I knew there had a to be a healthier option for this southern classic.  

 

Borrowing a technique from Cooking Light magazine, I coated the chicken with Panko breadcrumbs and sprayed it with vegetable cooking spray to give it a nice crunch.  The gravy is typically made with a roux of butter (or bacon grease) and flour to which whole milk or half-and-half is added.  I always found them to be to heavy for my taste so I omitted the fat and replaced 2/3 of the "milk" with a good chicken broth.  The result is a light, creamy gravy significantly more healthy than the original.  

 

“Fried” Chicken with Country Milk Gravy
This doesn't have any herbs or spices because since I was trying to keep as close to the original as possible.  However, you can also add some fresh herbs or spices to both the bread crumbs and the gravy depending on your personal taste. I'm a huge fan of chopped rosemary and a little garlic but feel free to experiment and let me know what you come up with!

1 cup Panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
4 (5- to 6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup plain almond milk
Vegetable cooking spray

Gravy:
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup plain almond milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.  Place a wire rack inside a baking sheet and spray with cooking spray. 

Combine breadcrumbs and pepper in a shallow dish.  Place chicken and almond milk in a bowl, tossing to coat. Dredge chicken, one piece at a time, in breadcrumbs and place on prepared rack.   Spray chicken evenly with cooking spray. 

Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until chicken is golden brown and registers 165º F in the thickest portion. 

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, whisk together broth, milk and flour.  Bring mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook 2 minutes.  Serve immediately over chicken. 

Serves 4

Nutritional analysis via Sparks People.

Comments

[Jen]

I'm going to have to try this and see if its as good as my Biloxi Grandmothers.