Dukkah Crusted Chicken Breast

I was given some Dukkah to try, and the first time we had it, with olive oil and warm pita bread we were hooked. I also knew right away that I wanted to use it as a crust for chicken breasts at some point; I soon realised that I needed to do this sooner rather than later as my husband was snacking on it more often than I realised.

By the time I made this, there was just enough left to coat two chicken breasts. This chicken was so tasty....spicy, crunchy, moist, juicy and tender. I had a lemon that was half zested, so used the remaining zest and some of the juice to marinade the chicken before cooking it.

I served it with couscous, adding the last few sundried tomatoes, some fresh basil and feta cheese to it.

I now have to either buy more Dukkah, or make some myself! It is an Egyptian blend of herbs, spices and nuts...often hazelnuts, sesame seeds, cumin, coriander and pepper but can vary depending on who makes it. It is spicy, tangy and crunchy and well worth a try if you haven't had it.

To add flavour, and to help the Dukkah stick to the chicken, marinade the chicken in:

Juice and zest of half a lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil

I used:

2  boneless, skinless chicken breasts





Cover and refrigerate the chicken for 2 - 4 hours. Turn the oven on to heat to 350F.

Combine:

1/3 cup Dukkah
1 1/2 tablespoons flour

Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, shaking any excess liquid off the meat.

Coat the chicken in the Dukkah and flour mixture, pressing to make sure that all sides are well covered.

In a pan that can be placed into the oven, heat some olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken breasts, and sear both sides.

When the chicken has been seared on both sides, put the pan into the oven to finish cooking the chicken.

When it is fully cooked, remove the chicken from the oven and leave it to rest for 5 - 10 minutes before serving.





I served my chicken sliced, on top of steamed green beans and coucous that had feta cheese, basil and sundried tomatoes added to it. Fresh lemon juice can be squeezed over the chicken just before serving.

• Note that I did not use salt to season this dish...I knew that the Dukkah I was using had enough salt in it, and adding more would be too much. Always adjust your salt to the ingredients you are using.
• I put the Dukkah and flour into the food processor briefly, as some of the hazelnuts were still quite large, and I wanted a more uniform size for the crust. 
• If you don't want to wait for the chicken to marinade (which is more for flavour than tenderizing in this instance), rub the chicken breast with some olive oil to help the Dukkah stick.
• Make extra of this yummy chicken and use it for sandwhiches, wraps or pizza toppings. If you have leftover couscous, combine the two for a salad...perfect for lunch.
• Use Dukkah for coating fish or pork; in soups or stews; to season vegetables or just as a dip with olive oil and bread.