Barefoot Contessa's Parmesan Chicken Sticks

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts (3 to 4)
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 1 cup seasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• unsalted butter
• olive oil
• bamboo skewer (6 to 10 inches long) or ice-cream stick

Directions

1. 1

   Lay the chicken breasts on a cutting board and slice each diagonally into 4 or 5 large strips.

2. 2

   Combine the flour, salt, and pepper on a dinner plate.

3. 3

   Beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon of water on a second plate.

4. 4

   Combine the breadcrumbs and Parmesan on a third plate.

5. 5

   Dredge the chicken breasts on both sides in the flour mixture, then dip both sides into the egg mixture and roll in the bread-crumb mixture, pressing lightly to coat.

6. 6

   Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan and cook the chicken strips on medium-low heat for about 3 minutes on each side, until just cooked through.

7. 7

   Don't crowd the pan.

8. 8

   Add more butter and oil and cook the rest of the chicken breasts.

9. 9

   Serve each strip on a skewer or stick.

10. 10

    You can keep the chicken breasts warm for about 15 minutes on a sheet pan in a preheated 200 degree F oven.