Balsamic Vinegar Chicken with Almonds and Peppers

This recipe based on a dish served by Aunt Ann takes about one hour and 15 minutes to prepare. But it has quickly become a family favorite so it is worth it! See Aunt Ann’s recommended recipe found at Big Flavors Tiny Kitchen,  for the pounded butterfly-thin chicken version. 

Cut, bread, and bake chicken strips, similar to our family’s favorite Rosemary Chicken recipe:

• 1-1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast halves
• 1/3 C Panko breadcrumbs (optional: try Italian-style Panko for this recipe)
• 1/3 C grated parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp Lemon Pepper, seasoned salt, or Tony Chachere’s Herb mix
• 2 egg whites

While chicken is baking, make almond peppers:

• 1/3-1/2 cup slivered almonds (toast in skillet for 4 minutes on medium)
• 4 large bell peppers, any color, seeded and cut into skinny strips
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar + 2 Tbsp more at end
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
• 2 Tbsp water (goes in at the end)

Pour almond pepper mixture over crispy baked chicken strips.

Step-by-step:

Chicken

1. Heat oven to 400°F.  Line a large 9×12 or larger cake or lasagna pan with parchment paper and spray liberally with Pam.
2. Cut chicken breasts into thick, chicken-tender style pieces. 
3. Set up three wet and dry dipping stations beside the prepared pan: 
   1. mix flour and Lemon Pepper in a shallow bowl or pie plate
   2. beat egg whites with a fork and place in second shallow bowl or pie plate
   3. combine Panko and parmesan cheese in third shallow bowl or pie plate.
4. Dredge (rub into) the flour into a chicken strip, dip into egg whites, coat in parmesan-Panko mixture, and lay in pan. Repeat until all chicken is coated and in pan. Our oldest daughter suggested using wet and dry hands for quickest and easiest-to-clean hands. Example right hand handles all the dry flour rub and slides into egg whites; left hand handles the egg white dipping then transfers to Panko. Right hand coats with Panko and transfers to pan.
5. Cover pan with foil and bake 45 minutes.  
6. Remove pan of chicken from oven and place on hot pad.  Remove foil. Set up oven for broiling, but keep the racks in the middle of the oven.  Broil for 10 minutes; stop if the tops of the chicken begins to burn.
7. Remove chicken from oven and place on hot pad to cool slightly. 
8. Transfer chicken strips to a deep platter.

Almond Peppers

1. Toast almonds in a large skillet for 4 minutes over medium heat (5 on a scale of 0-9). Transfer almonds to a plate or other container.
2. See and cut bell peppers into long thin strips.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in skillet over medium-high heat (7 on a scale of 0-9) and sauté slowly. Stir only once in about 90 seconds to get a good charring on each side in the first 3-4 minutes. Stir as needed after that.
4. Add raisins to skillet and sauté another minutes.
5. Add 1/3 Cup Balsamic vinegar to raisins and peppers. Scatter sugar, Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper over peppers. Stir to combine and cook one more minute.
6. Stir in toasted almonds and remove from heat. Set aside and keep warm.
7. When chicken is done, return skillet of almond peppers to burner and turn on high heat (9 on a scale of 0-9).
8. Add in 2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar and water to the pan and stir to blend into the previously thickened sauce around peppers and almonds.
9. Use tongs to transfer almond peppers over baked chicken in a deep platter, then pour remaining sauce over top.

Serve immediately.

Serves: 8

2022 note: some members of the family inherited George Foshee’s disgust for cooked raisins. Names withheld to protect those outliers.