crispy lemony chicken for 3 (or a couple + third wheel)

buttermilk bath

thinly sliced chicken breast

1/3 c buttermilk

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp lemon zest

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

crispy crust 

6 saltine crackers

1/2 c corn flakes

1/4 c flour

pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

1 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp olive oil

not wanting to pound an entire chicken breast thin, i purchased thinly sliced chicken breast and pounded it to an even thin-ness between two sheets of plastic wrap.  in a plastic zip lock bag, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, zest, and salt and pepper.  zip, mix, and then add chicken breast.  let sit in the refrigerator for 3 hours.  in a food processor, pulse crackers and corn flakes until fine.  pour crumbs into a dish suitable for breading.  mix in the flour and salt and pepper.  pull chicken out of its buttermilk bath.  let the buttermilk drip off.  lightly salt one side of each piece of chicken and evenly cover in crumbs.  melt butter in oil over medium heat.  pan fry for 3 minutes on each side.  yum yum yum!

Okay so here's where this recipe came from.  I had the best lemon pepper chicken in El Paso, Texas years ago when my sister Aimee' and I were traveling on a massive triangular road trip all over the country (Atlanta,GA to Los Angeles,CA to Pierre,SD and back home with lots of stops in between).  I have never had anything like it (and I've tried for well over 12 years).  It was grilled but I can't grill.  So I decided to tie in another favorite type of chicken, crispy, with this lemony and peppery one.  The lemon is complimentary and not overpowering.  It pairs perfectly with the lemon, butter, white wine, and caper sauce over penne.