Sesame Chicken
This was an easy recipe - an egg white is the secret to getting the sesame seeds to stick, and you pound the breast thin so it'll cook through before the seeds burn.
First I pounded two small chicken breasts to 1/2 inch thickness, salted them, then dredged them through slightly beaten egg white mixed with more salt, and then through sesame seeds. Set that aside to allow the whites to dry out a little, and heat a good amount of oil (a scant 1/4 cup?) in the pan. Cook the breasts on each side about 5 minutes. I sliced them up and served them over arugula with balsamic vinaigrette drizzled on top. (I wanted to do an Asian dressing, but my sesame oil had gone bad and everything I tried turned out kind of foul. The vinaigrette was good with it, though.)
Dang, it's almost midnght & you've got my mouth watering...
Glad you had a nice birthday dinner, Kim! I also have a thing for slow nights in restaurants, the staff is more relaxed, and you feel comfy... Happy Birthday!
I think you'd really enjoy the duck at Peking Duck House in Chinatown-on Mott Street-(20 Mott was fabulous before it closed). I had leftovers the next day for lunch (which were just as good) that made everyone extremely jealous as I rolled my pieces of duck and scallion into the thin pancake and then dipped it in hoison sauce. Oh, man, that's the stuff.