Fizzy Chicken with Rice and Lemon Vinaigrette

Tuesday is the day my youngest daughter and her friend come over for dinner. They sit at the counter and grade papers and chat while I prepare dinner. I enjoy their company and it's always fun to cook for more people than just me and my husband. A couple of weeks ago, Melissa requested Fizzy Chicken and I was happy to oblige.

The chicken breasts are dredged in flour and sauteed in vegetable oil and then club soda is added and allowed to cook down to make a syrupy sauce for the chicken. The chicken gets served over rice that has grated Parmesan, heavy cream and butter added. The chicken and rice finally get a drizzle of a lemon vinaigrette which is what really puts this dish over the top.

I served this with ribbons of carrots and zucchini that I sliced on my mandoline and cooked simply in a skillet in a little bit of butter, covered for 3 minutes and sprinkled with parsley and salt.



Fizzy Chicken with Rice and Lemon Vinaigrette (4 servings)
Adapted from Cuisine at Home for Two

For the Vinaigrette
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

For the Chicken and Rice
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, about 5 oz. each
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup dry converted white rice (I used Uncle Ben's)
4 tablespoons all purpose white flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup club soda
3 teaspoons unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons heavy cream
3 teaspoons unsalted butter

Make the vinaigrette:
Combine lemon juice, chives, honey, and Dijon in a bowl. Drizzle in the 4 tablespoons oil, whisking constantly until mixture is thoroughly combined. Set aside.

Trim chicken breasts of fat, then season with salt and pepper. Meanwhile, cook rice according to package directions.

Dredge chicken in flour; saute in 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden, about 2 minutes. Flip chicken; saute 1 minute more.

Deglaze pan with club soda, reduce heat to medium and add 3 teaspoons butter and pepper flakes. Cover and simmer until liquid is syrupy, about 5 minutes; turning chicken to coat. Keep chicken warm over low heat.

Combine cooked rice with Parmesan, cream and another 3 teaspoons butter. Serve chicken breasts with lemon vinaigrette and Parmesan rice.


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