Pecan-Crusted Chicken with Mustard Sauce

Basically all of the articles I save on Facebook now are recipe posts from Food and Wine, which is where I found this amazing recipe. It's fast, delicious, and pretty cheap.

1 cup pecans

2 tbsp cornstarch

1 tsp dried thyme

1 tsp dried paprika

1 1/2 tsp salt

Cayenne

1 egg

2 tbsp water

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.3 lbs)

3 tbsp cooking oil

1 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp grainy or dijon mustard

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

In a food processor, pulse the pecans with the cornstarch, thyme, paprika, 1 1/4 tsp of the salt, 1/8 tsp cayenne until the nuts are chopped fine. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl.

Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Dip each chicken breast into the egg mixture and then into the nut mixture.

In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Turn and continue cooking until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through, 5-6 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine the mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, sugar, parsley, a pinch of cayenne, and the remaining 1/4 tsp of salt. Serve the chicken with the mustard dipping sauce.

I think Mark put 2x-3x more mustard in than the recipe called for, but use your judgement.

Update: As a result of being very low on mayonnaise, I learned that I prefer this dipping sauce with 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 4-6 tablespoons mustard (a mix of grainy mustard and horseradish mustard), and some lemon juice.