Pretzel Crusted Chicken French with Eggplant Parmesan

Prep Time: 10-15 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes

Main Entree Ingredients 

• 4 Chicken Cutlets
• One Eggplant (medium)
• Box of Bucatini Pasta
• Jar of Favorite Pasta Sauce (we used "It's A Utica Thing" pasta sauce and Wegmans "Grandpas Sauce")
• Bag of Dot’s Homestyle Pretzel Crumble or buy a bag and make crumbs 
• Salt and pepper
• 2 Eggs, well beaten
• 2-4 cups vegetable oil
• Provolone or your favorite cheese for eggplant and/or chicken
• Grated Parmesan cheese
• Salt and pepper for seasoning
• Loaf of your favorite Italian garlic bread or our favorite Rosemary Bread (you only need a few slices)

French Sauce Ingredients

• 1/2 minced onion
• Tablespoon of minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons of butter
• 1/2 cup cooking wine
• 2 tablespoons of flour
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 cups low sodium chicken broth

Garnish Ingredients

• Fresh parsley
• Lemon slices 

Instructions:

PREP:

1. Place flour, pretzels, and beaten eggs into three separate shallow bowls or dinner-size plates.
   
2. Fill two deep frying pans or large pots with enough vegetable oil to come up about 1/2 inch or so. 
3. Fill a second large pot about halfway up with water. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil and a teaspoon of salt.
4. Trim any unwanted fat from the chicken.
5. Remove the skin from the eggplant and slice into 1/2 inch slices. Lightly salt and pepper each side.
6. Cut the lemon into slices.
7. Chop parsley.

Cooking:

1. Place the three pans, referenced above, on three burners and heat on medium-high to high. Bring water to a boil and the oil to a light bubble.
2. Place a small, empty pot on the fourth burner.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
4. Dredge chicken and eggplant in the following order; egg on both sides, then pretzel on both sides. IMPORTANT: pat the pretzels down on chicken and eggplant for best results.
5. Place pasta in boiling water and cook until desired firmness, I recommend al dante. Strain and leave the pasta in the strainer until you're ready to serve. Pour a little oil on the bare pasta in the strainer to prevent it from sticking.
6. Add as many pieces of chicken that fit into the deep pot of oil and as many pieces of eggplant that fit into the deep frying pan of oil. Cook for 2-4 minutes on one side, then flip and cook the second side for another 2-3 minutes until crisp on each side. Repeat until all of the pieces are fried. PRO-TIP: Place the fried food into the oven in a small casserole dish on low heat to keep them warm until all they are done.
7. Pour the jar of red sauce into a small pot and heat on medium-low heat
8. Place cheese on the chicken and or the eggplant. Place in the oven for 10 minutes.
9. French sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons butter with garlic and onion, mixing until the butter is melted. Add 2 tablespoons of flour and stir for a few minutes until mixed well. Add wine, lemon juice, and chicken broth to heat and bring to a light boil stirring regularly until slightly thickened for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and pour into a bowl using a fine, mesh sleeve strainer to remove the onion and garlic. Pour the sauce back into the pot and add the last tablespoon of butter and cook until mixed.
10. Remove the chicken and eggplant from the oven. Add the pasta to the dish, twirl the pasta into a nest and cover it with red sauce. Place two eggplant pieces over pasta and cover with sauce.
11. Plate your piece of chicken next to pasta and cover with French lemon sauce, then garnish with two lemon slices and parsley flakes on top.
12. Serve and enjoy with a slice of bread and butter on the side. Pro-Tip: Avoid eating the bread until the end so that you can soak up the leftover sauce. Unless you are my wife, who needs two pieces of bread because she can’t wait, needing another slice at the end.