Macadamia Chicken With Orange-Ginger Sauce and Coconut Pilaf

• all-purpose flour↗1 cup
• coconut milk↗1 cup
• macadamia nuts, finely chopped roasted, salted macadamia nuts (about 4 oz.)↗1 cup
• panko breadcrumbs (Japanese bread crumbs) or 1 cup other fine dry breadcrumb↗1 cup
• boneless skinless chicken breast halves (each 6 to 7 oz.)↗4
• kosher salt↗
• fresh ground black pepper↗
• butter tablespoons

  about 2

• olive oil tablespoons

  about 2

• chopped shallot1 cup
• chopped ginger1 1⁄2 tablespoons
• chopped garlic1 1⁄2 tablespoons
• reduced-sodium chicken broth↗1 cup
• dry white wine↗1⁄2 cup
• orange juice (use fresh oranges and reserve peel for pilaf)↗1⁄2 cup

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 375°. Put flour and coconut milk in separate wide, shallow bowls. In another bowl, mix nuts and panko. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper.

2. 2

   Put 2 tablespoons butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess; dip into coconut milk, letting excess drip off; then press into nut mixture to coat on all sides. Reserve coconut milk. Lay chicken in frying pan in a single layer and cook until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. With a spatula, turn pieces (taking care not to break off nut coating) and brown on the other side, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer chicken to a baking pan and bake until no longer pink in center of thickest part (cut to test), 15 to 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, wipe any scorched nuts from pan with a paper towel. If pan is dry, add 1 tablespoons each butter and olive oil, then shallots, ginger, and garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour in broth, wine, and orange juice. Boil until liquid is reduced by about half, 8 to 10 minutes.

4. 4

   Pour mixture into a blender and, holding lid down tightly with a towel, whirl until very smooth. Return sauce to frying pan and add 1/4 cup reserved coconut milk (discard remainder) and salt and pepper to taste; stir over low heat until hot, then pour into a small bowl.

5. 5

   Spoon Coconut Pilaf onto plates, top with chicken, and serve with sauce.

6. 6

   *Chop the nuts by pulsing briefly in a food processor. Finely shred the peel from the oranges and save it for the pilaf.