Family Recipe

Pecan Chicken with Raspberry Sauce

2 lbs. chicken tenderloins
4 eggs 1 cup buttermilk
1 ½ cups flour
1 lb. Pecans (crushed lightly in food processor)
2 cups plain “Panko” style breadcrumbs

In a small bowl, lightly beat eggs and buttermilk. In another mixing bowl combine crushed pecans, breadcrumbs and a ½ cup of flour. Use remaining flour to coat chicken (be sure to coat both sides). Next, dip chicken into the egg wash. Shake off excess egg wash and place into the pecan mixture. Press firmly on the breast to ensure a strong binding crust. Pan-fry in oil over medium heat. Be careful the pecans can burn quickly! I like to brown both sides and if the chicken isn’t cooked through finish in the oven at 325˚.

Raspberry Sauce

1 small bag of frozen raspberries or blackberries
1 cup Zinfandel or favorite sweet berry wine
1½ cups sugar
1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

Bring ingredients to a simmer in a medium sauce pan for 10 min. Blend with blender and strain seeds. Bring back to the pan and bring to a low boil. Thicken with cornstarch till it just coats the back of a spoon. It will thicken even more as it cools. Drizzle over cooked pecan chicken. **You may substitute 16oz. of Premium Raspberry Preserves instead of the frozen berries. It may be sweeter so adjust sugar if needed.

This recipe was created by my own personal chef (my husband), Matthew Hawkey. Several of the restaurants where he has worked have put this on their menu. Also, our family loves it so much that they had us print out recipes for everyone. It has now become a favorite dish among many families. My mother and grandmother request it every Mother’s Day! 

This idea is such a wonderful way for us to keep a little memory of each of our classmates. I can not wait to see everyone's recipes!