Ingredients
- 5 McIntosh apples — peeled, quartered, cored and chopped
- 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 cup apple cider (eyeball it)
- 3 rounded tablespoons brown sugar
- One 1-inch piece of peeled ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Four 8-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
- 1 cup salted baby pretzels
- 1 cup plain bread crumbs
- 1 cup shredded or crumbled sharp cheddar cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
- 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 large egg
- All-purpose flour, for dredging
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Salt
- 1
Preheat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the apples, lemon juice, cider, brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon and stir. Cook, stirring frequently, until mushy, about 15 minutes. Remove the ginger.
- 2
While the applesauce is cooking, sprinkle a little water into each of 4 quart-size plastic storage bags. Place 1 chicken breast in each bag, push out the excess air and seal it up. Using a heavy-bottomed pot, pound each breast until evenly thin, just shy of busting out of the bag.
- 3
Place the pretzels, bread crumbs, cheese, thyme, nutmeg and pepper in a food processor and pulse to grind until they’re the consistency of bread crumbs. Transfer the ground pretzels and cheese to a shallow dish.
- 4
Crack the egg into a second shallow dish and lightly beat with a splash of water. Place some flour in a third dish. Coat the chicken first in flour, then egg and finally in cheese and pretzel crumbs.
- 5
In a large skillet, heat 1/4 inch of oil over medium-high heat and add the coated chicken breasts. Cook in a single layer, 3 or 4 minutes on each side, until the juices run clear and the breading is evenly browned. Cut off a piece of a cutlet and taste, to see if you want to salt them a little. Serve the chicken with the applesauce. Serves 4.
