Polenta-crumbed chicken with herb butter

Ingredients

• 200 gmfine polenta
• 60 gm (3/4 cup)finely grated parmesan
• 120 gm (1 cup)almond meal
• 3eggs, beaten
• 4 smallchicken breasts, tenderloins removed, pounded flat
• for shallow-fryingvegetable oil
• 1 tbspextra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tspred wine vinegar
• 1/2 headradicchio, coarsely shredded
• Herb butter
• 150 gmsalted butter, chopped
• 2garlic cloves, finely grated
• 2 tbspcoarsely chopped oregano
• 1 tbspcoarsely chopped sage
• 1 tbspcoarsely chopped thyme
• finely grated rind of 1lemon

Instructions

1. 1

   Infuse the butter

   Preheat the oven to 100°C. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat, then stir in the garlic, herbs and lemon rind. Turn the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes until the butter takes on the herbs’ flavour. Keep warm.

2. 2

   Coat the chicken

   Mix the polenta and parmesan in a bowl and season to taste. Put the almond meal and beaten eggs in separate bowls, seasoning the almond meal to taste. Dust each chicken breast with almond meal and shake off the excess, dip it in egg, then press it into the polenta mixture. Arrange the coated chicken on a baking-paper-lined oven tray.

3. 3

   Fry until golden

   Pour vegetable oil to a depth of 2 cm into a large frying pan and heat over medium-high until shimmering. Fry the chicken in batches, turning occasionally, for 5–6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towels, then place on a wire rack set over an oven tray and keep warm in the oven while frying the remaining chicken.

4. 4

   Dress and serve

   Whisk the olive oil and red wine vinegar in a bowl. Add the radicchio, season to taste and toss to coat. Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with the herb butter and radicchio.

What is polenta-crumbed chicken?

Polenta-crumbed chicken is a crisp-coated take on a familiar pan-fried chicken dish. Polenta and parmesan provide the crunchy outer layer, while almond meal helps the coating cling without relying on breadcrumbs.

This modern Australian version pairs the chicken with a melted butter infused with herbs and lemon, plus a quick radicchio salad. The bitter leaves cut through the buttery coating and make the plate feel more balanced.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 1020 calories, 58g protein, 62g carbs, 61g fat.

Polenta supplies most of the carbohydrates, while the chicken provides the main protein. Almond meal, parmesan, butter and frying oil contribute much of the fat; serve with extra vegetables or salad if you want more volume alongside the chicken.

Build an even coating

Almond meal: Shake off the excess after dusting the chicken so the egg can coat the surface evenly.

Egg: Let any extra egg drip back into the bowl before adding the chicken to the polenta mixture.

Polenta and parmesan: Press the coating onto both sides rather than just dipping it, so it forms an even crust.

Keep the herb butter gentle

Low heat: Once the garlic, herbs and lemon rind go into the melted butter, reduce the heat and cook gently for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally to infuse the butter without scorching the garlic.

Serve warm: Keep the finished butter warm while the chicken cooks so it stays easy to spoon over the pieces.

Watch the frying temperature

Shimmering oil: Heat the 2 cm depth of vegetable oil over medium-high heat until it shimmers before adding the chicken. If the oil is too cool, the coating can absorb more oil instead of crisping.

Batch frying: Leave room around each piece and fry in batches. Turn occasionally and look for a golden crust; the method gives a cooking time of 5–6 minutes.

Use the oven to hold the chicken

Drain the fried chicken on paper towels first, then transfer it to a wire rack over an oven tray. The rack lets air circulate around the coating while the remaining batches cook.

The oven is set to 100°C to keep the chicken warm. Avoid piling the pieces on top of one another, which can soften the crust.

Finish with a sharp salad

Radicchio: Toss the shredded leaves with olive oil and red wine vinegar just before serving. Its pleasantly bitter taste contrasts with the rich butter and fried coating.

Serve the chicken cut into pieces with the herb butter and salad alongside. Extra vegetables or a simple green salad can round out the meal.

Recipe notes & tips

• Pound the chicken to an even thickness so it cooks at a similar rate throughout.
• Set up the almond meal, egg and polenta mixture in separate bowls before coating the chicken.
• Shake off excess almond meal and let excess egg drip away to help keep the crumb neat.
• Fry in batches so the chicken has room to brown.
• Use a wire rack to hold cooked pieces while the remaining chicken fries.
• Dress the radicchio shortly before serving so it stays crisp.

Variations

• Change the herbs: Use other soft herbs in place of some of the oregano, sage or thyme.
• Add more lemon: Grate extra lemon rind into the butter for a brighter flavour.
• Swap the leaves: Serve with another crisp salad leaf if radicchio is unavailable.
• Make smaller pieces: Cut the chicken into strips before coating for smaller portions.
• Adjust the butter: Spoon only as much herb butter as you like over each serving.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Uneven chicken: Pound the breasts flat so thinner and thicker sections do not finish at different times.
• Heavy coating: Shake off excess almond meal and egg before moving to the next coating.
• Oil not hot enough: Wait until the oil is shimmering before frying so the crumb can brown.
• Crowded pan: Fry in batches to avoid lowering the heat and obstructing even browning.
• Burnt garlic: Keep the butter over low heat and stir occasionally during its 5-minute infusion.
• Soggy coating: Drain on paper towels, then hold the chicken on a wire rack rather than stacking it.

How to store

Refrigerate leftover chicken and herb butter separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days. Reheat the chicken in an oven until hot to help restore some crispness, and warm the butter gently; dress the radicchio fresh.

Frequently asked questions