Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Apple Brown Butter and Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Carrots
Tender chicken cutlets coated in a crunchy pecan and almond crust, pan-fried until golden, then spooned with warm brown butter loaded with caramelized apples, sage, and a splash of cider vinegar. Roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots round out a cozy autumn plate.
Yield: Serves 4 · Active: 35 min · Total: 50 min · Best in North America in fall, when apples, Brussels sprouts, and carrots are at their peak · Best eaten: early evening
Ingredients
Roasted Brussels sprouts and carrots
1 lb Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
4 carrots, cut into sticks
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil or melted ghee
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
Pecan-crusted chicken
1½ lb pasture-raised boneless chicken breasts (or thighs)
¾ cup pecans
¼ cup almond flour
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried)
½ tsp garlic powder
¾ tsp Baja Gold sea salt
¼ tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 pasture-raised egg, beaten with 1 tsp Dijon mustard
2–3 tbsp ghee, for pan-frying
Apple brown butter
4 tbsp grass-fed butter
2 firm apples (like Honeycrisp or Pink Lady), cored and thinly sliced
6–8 fresh sage leaves
1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar
Pinch of Baja Gold sea salt
Method
Roast the vegetables. Heat the oven to 425°F. Toss the Brussels sprouts and carrots with the oil and salt and roast, Brussels sprouts cut-side down, 25–30 minutes, until caramelized and crisp at the edges.
Prep the chicken. Slice the breasts in half horizontally (or pound them) to an even ½-inch thickness so they cook quickly and evenly.
Make the crust. Pulse the pecans in a food processor until finely chopped (stop before they turn to butter), then mix with the almond flour, thyme, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish.
Coat. Dip each cutlet in the egg-Dijon mixture, then press firmly into the pecan crust on both sides.
Pan-fry. Heat the ghee in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook the cutlets 3–4 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through to 165°F. Medium heat keeps the pecans from scorching before the chicken is done. Move them to a plate.
Make the apple brown butter. Wipe out the skillet, add the butter, and cook over medium heat, swirling, until it foams and turns golden brown with a nutty aroma, 3–4 minutes. Add the apple slices and sage and cook 2–3 minutes, until the apples are tender and lightly caramelized and the sage is crisp. Off the heat, stir in the vinegar and salt.
Plate. Set the chicken on each plate with the roasted vegetables alongside, and spoon the apple brown butter, apples, and crispy sage over the top.
Storage: Chicken, up to 3 days refrigerated (recrisp at 400°F for 6–8 minutes); vegetables, up to 4 days; apple brown butter, up to 3 days.
Nourishment Notes:
Pasture-raised chicken brings complete protein, B vitamins, and selenium.
Pecans offer manganese, zinc, and polyphenols.
Almond flour adds vitamin E and magnesium.
Apples bring pectin and quercetin.
Grass-fed butter offers vitamins A and K2 and butyrate.
Brussels sprouts bring glucosinolates and vitamin C.
Carrots offer beta-carotene.
Sage brings rosmarinic acid.
For your cycle: Brussels sprouts support estrogen metabolism through Phase 2 liver detoxification, and pecans' zinc and manganese make this supportive in every phase.
Sourcing
Chicken — pasture-raised, from a local farm raising birds on pasture, or White Oak Pastures
Pecans — organic, raw, from a U.S. Southern orchard when you can, kept in the fridge
Almond flour — organic and fresh (keep it in the fridge). U.S. almonds are pasteurized by law, even when labeled "raw"; the gold standard is grinding your own from organic, unpasteurized Spanish almonds, like Terrasoul's
Eggs — organic and pasture-raised, from a local farm or Alexandre Family Farm
Apples, Brussels sprouts, carrots, sage, and thyme — organic, from a farmers' market
Dijon mustard — organic, with no preservatives or sugar; Delouis Fils or Maison Orphée
Grass-fed butter and ghee — organic, cultured butter from 100% grass-fed cows; Ancient Organics ghee
Raw apple cider vinegar — organic, with the mother (Bragg)
Garlic powder — organic and non-irradiated
Extra virgin olive oil — organic, single-estate, harvest-dated, in dark glass
Baja Gold sea salt
— Anna aka Food Marshall