This recipe was found in The Complete Chicken (1978) by Carl Jerome. Truthfully, I never get sick of eating chicken – as long as I keep mixing up how I prepare it. I always have chicken breasts in the freezer. I grind them in a food processor for chicken burgers, slice and add to stir fry, boil or roast for chili and pot pie and chop them up for chicken salad, fried rice and egg foo young. Of course, the easiest way to prepare chicken breasts is a simple sauté – using thinly sliced and pounded breasts. The author named this recipe for his Dutch friend, Alex from Amsterdam. While simple, the end result is delicious!
Alex Komen’s Chicken with Sesame Seeds
2 ounces sesame seeds (about ¼ cup)
4 boneless and skinless half breasts (about 1½ pounds)
Flour
6 tablespoons oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Place the sesame seeds in a large skillet over medium heat. Shake the pan gently back and forth for 3 to 4 minutes until the seeds have toasted to a light, golden brown. Immediately pour onto a cold plate. Place each chicken breast between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap. With a heavy cleaver or meat pounder, flatten the chicken to an even thickness of about ¼ inch. Remove the paper and trim any ragged edges with a sharp knife. Dust the chicken lightly in flour, shaking off any excess.
Pour the oil into a large skillet and set it over medium-low heat. When hot, add the chicken and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once or twice, until the chicken is cooked through and only lightly colored. Remove from the skillet and lightly season with salt and pepper and roll in the toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
Note: I slice chicken breasts in half while still partially frozen. And while you may be tempted to use a non-stick skillet to prepare these chicken breasts – you’ll get a better browning and yes, flavor, if you opt for stainless steel or cast iron.
Next time? I would use Bagel Seasoning (Trader Joe’s) instead of solely sesame seeds for more color!
This complete volume for how to cook every part of the bird is still out there on used book sites and of course, Amazon. https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Chicken-Special-Cookbook-Cooking/dp/0394428226
connieiscooking 
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