Hazelnut chicken

To skin hazelnuts, place in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave for 1-2 minutes then shake in a sieve until the skins fall off. Or, wrap in a clean tea towel and rub hard. Hazelnuts are sometimes called filberts or cobs in the USA and England.

Ingredients

2 small	Chicken breasts, skinned and boned (Main)
½ cup	Hazelnuts, peeled (Main)
1 pinch	Salt
⅓ cup	Panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp	Orange rind, finely grated (Main)
1 tsp	Chopped thyme
1 tsp	Dijon mustard
1 large	Egg
1 Tbsp	Water
4 Tbsp	Cornflour

Directions

1. Flatten the breasts until they are about 1cm thick. You may want to cut them in half lengthwise.
2. Pulse the hazelnuts in a food processor until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Combine with the salt, panko crumbs, orange rind and thyme.
3. Whisk the mustard, egg and water and season with black pepper in a shallow bowl. Place the cornflour in another bowl.
4. Dip the chicken in the cornflour, then in the egg mixture, then in the nut mixture, coating well. Press it in then chill for 40 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the chicken breasts in a large oiled baking pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, until cooked.

More nut-based recipes from Jan

• Nutty black bean dip
• Orange walnut cake