Sesame chicken and sautéed kale with miso tahini cream

This recipe sees chicken coated in a combination of panko breadcrumbs and sesame seeds for an Asian twist on chicken schnitzel. Serve it up with garlicky kale and a tahini sauce flavoured with miso and sesame oil for a dinner party-worthy dish.

Credit: Feast Magazine

• serves

  4

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  20 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk
• 1½ cups panko breadcrumbs
• ¾ cup sesame seeds
• plain flour, seasoned to taste, for dusting
• 500 g skinless chicken breast, cut into thin schnitzels
• grapeseed oil, for pan-frying
• 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch kale, about 230 g leaves stripped and rinsed but not dried
• steamed jasmine rice and soy sauce, to serve

Tahini miso cream

• 60 ml (¼ cup) hulled tahini
• 1½ tbsp shiro (white) miso
• few drops sesame oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 80 ml (⅓ cup) water

Instructions

For the tahini miso cream, process all the ingredients in a small food processor until smooth. If refrigerating before using, you may need to thin it out with a little warm water.

In a bowl, lightly beat the eggs with the milk. Combine the breadcrumbs and sesame seeds in a separate bowl. Place the flour in a third bowl. Dust the chicken slices in the flour, then dip into the egg mixture, and then coat both sides with the breadcrumb mixture, pressing down firmly on the chicken to even out the thickness and to ensure the crumbs adhere.

Pour enough oil into a large heavy-based saucepan to come 1 cm up the side and heat on medium-high. Cook the chicken, in batches, seasoning as you go, until golden and crisp on both sides. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and cook until light golden, then add the kale and sauté for 3-4 minutes or until wilted and tender. Season to taste.

Serve the sesame chicken with the tahini miso cream, sautéed kale, steamed rice and soy sauce.

Photography by Benito Martin

Styling by Jerrie-Joy Redman-Lloyd

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.