Playing Favorites: Cooking with Chicken and Georgia Pecans

Good cooking, like a good relationship, depends a lot on compatibility. Ingredients have to “get along well” with each other, bringing together textures and flavors that enhance one another rather than compete. Ultimately, the best dishes are ones that equal more than the sum of their parts, where the flavors meld into a new deliciousness rather than just assemble together.

Consider, for example, the foolproof combination of crunchy, rich-tasting Georgia pecans and tender, juicy chicken. Here are two of America’s favorite foods that taste even better when paired together. Pecans contribute a crunchy, almost-sweet flavor that offsets the tender, mild meat of the chicken. Both foods can play off any number of seasonings from sweet or spicy, to herbal or citrusy, giving the cook unlimited possibilities.

Uniting these two recipe-friendly ingredients—Georgia pecans and chicken—in the same recipe is the culinary equivalent of perfect double play: two smart choices, one winning dish. Proof is on the plate in new Georgia pecan recipes such as a Mediterranean Chicken Stir-Fry with Pecans Over Parmesan Polenta, or Pecan-Stuffed Honey Mustard Chicken. The stir-fry takes a classic Asian technique for quick-cooking vegetables and chicken and then applies it to European seasonings, with the nutty addition of warm pecan halves. Served over a soft pillow of polenta, this internationally-inspired dish delivers a delicious balance of textures and flavors. Likewise, the honey-and-mustard infused stuffed chicken dish succeeds with the help of chopped pecans, which bridge the sweet taste of honey and mustard’s spicy notes.

Beyond these hot main dishes, a light entrée of Layered Chicken Salad with Blue Cheese and Toasted Pecans brings the goodness of poultry and pecans to lunch, brunch or a simple warm-weather supper. By virtue of their toasty crunch and buttery richness, pecans mellow the piquant blue cheese and elevate the ordinary taste of chicken in this sophisticated salad.

When it comes to the culinary marriage of pecans and chicken, there’s more to cluck about than complimentary taste and texture. Both ingredients score high on the healthfulness chart, especially when it comes to “good” unsaturated fat content.

Pecans, in fact, have been shown to help prevent cardiovascular disease, due to the generous amount of oleic acid present in the southern nut. In addition, a recent study by researchers at Loma Linda University in California has found that a specific form of vitamin E found in pecans—known as gamma tocopherol—can have a beneficial effect on the body by protecting fats from oxidation.

Simple economics also explains the ever-increasing advantage of food choices like chicken and pecans. Chicken seems a relative bargain to consumers, compared with the higher per/pound price of beef, pork, and fish. Similarly, the Georgia pecan harvest is also a strong, reliable commodity, with yields that average nearly 90 million pounds each fall.

The Georgia Pecan Commission works to ensure that growers produce this abundant supply of pecans to make the popular nut available year-round. “Word is getting out that pecans are not just for desserts,” says the Georgia Pecan Commission. “The pecan is a versatile nut that can add a special flavor to salads, side dishes and dinner favorites throughout the year.” While pecans are perishable, and at their freshest in the fall, they can be enjoyed year round if properly stored. Shelled pecans will keep for nine months if refrigerated in an airtight container. If frozen in sealable freezer bags, the flavor of the pecans will be preserved for up to two years. To discover the wealth of pecan’s culinary potential, Leger encourages consumers to go to the Commission’s website, www.GeorgiaPecans.org and tour the on-line recipe library. But be sure to stock up on pecans beforehand. You’ll need plenty of pecans for all the irresistible, healthy dishes there are to create.

Perfect Poultry and Pecans:

• To make chicken cutlets moist and flavorful, dip them a coating of finely chopped pecans before pan-frying
   
• When adding pecans to chicken salad, mix in the nuts just before serving to ensure their crunchy texture
   
• For a tasty variation on classic roast chicken, make a chunky paste of finely chopped garlic, pecans and salt, and spread it under the skin of the chicken breast before cooking to flavor the meat
   
• The flavors of BBQ chicken taste even better when served with a generous sprinkling of chopped toasted pecans and fresh chives
   
• To give chicken kebabs extra flavor and texture, and to preserve their moisture, lightly brush the cooked skewered chicken with honey and roll in chopped toasted pecans

Source: Georgia Pecan Commission