Expert: Teri Davis Newman - 2/27/2009

Question
I am cooking a luncheon for my sisters baby shower.  I am feeding approx 25 women.  What I would like to make is a chicken cutlet that is breaded with a flour/parmesan mixture and is pan seared in olive oil.  Once browned, the chicken is removed. Then you make a sauce of white wine, lemon juice and capers in the same pan.  I would like to cook the chicken early enough in the morning (the shower starts at noon), keeping the chicken warm in the oven.  The sauce I would keep warm seperate, pouring it over the chicken when serving.  My concern is...will the breading get soggy or will it dry out if cooked too soon and then kept in a warm oven?  I have so much to do that morning, and don't want my kitchen looking like a wreck when the guest arrive.  Any thoughts or suggestions?

Thanks!!

Answer
The breading will get soggy AND the chicken will dry out.  Chicken breast is a dry, flavorless meat that has become popular because of the fat police taking fat out of everything.  Fat = flavor and juicy meat but God forbid we should let a single fat gram cross our lips! If I were you, I'd buy (or make) a big party size Stouffer's or Michael Angelo's lasagne.  You put it in the oven and walk away until it's time to serve it. You can make some garlic bread (mash garlic cloves and butter together with a little Italian seasoning and parmesan cheese) slice the loaves of French bread longways, smear on the garlic mix and wrap the loaves tightly in foil.  Throw them in the oven for the last 15 minutes of the lasagne cooking time and leave them in there during the lasagne standing time (15 mins) and your guests will be drooling and you'll be a heroine! Serve it with some nice red wine or sangria if you want a sweeter beverage and buy 2 cheesecake factory cheesecakes at Costco or Sam's (they are to die for, pre-sliced and $11 each--and it's a 4 pound cheesecake) a can of cherry and a can of blueberry pie filling and you will be the toast of the party circuit!  I'm checking the mail for my invite!
Have a blast babe!