Recipe: Old Bay Chicken with Cool as a Cucumber Sauce

Old Bay Chicken with Cool as a Cucumber Sauce
Yield: 4 servings

Cucumber Sauce (recipe follows)
4 chicken breast halves, skinned & boned
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 Tbls. Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2 tsp.dry mustard
1/2 tsp. mace or freshly ground nutmeg
1/8-1/4 tsp. cayenne
2-3 Tbls. corn oil

Cucumber Sauce:
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded & coarsely shredded
1/2 cup yogurt
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup minced fresh chives or 2 Tbls. each, minced fresh dill & green onions
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
pinch of cayenne (opt.)

To make sauce, squeeze shredded cucumber to remove liquid, leaving about 2/3 cup cucumber.

Stir cucumber, yogurt, sour cream, chives salt, pepper & cayenne together. Taste, adjust seasonings & refrigerate.

Separate filets from chicken & remove tendons. Halve each breast lengthwise. Mix cornmeal, Old Bay, dry mustard, mace & cayenne. Coat both sides of chicken with cornmeal.

In a heavy 10 inch skillet, heat 1 1/2 Tbls. oil on medium high heat & saute half the chicken for 3 minutes, shaking pan occasionally to keep chicken from sticking. Add 1/2 Tbls. oil, turn chicken & saute 2-3 minutes longer, til firm, removing small filets when cooked. Set chicken on paper towels & keep warm. Saute remaining chicken, adding 1 Tbls. oil if necessary.

Serve with crunchy cucumber sauce or lemon wedges.