I love a crisp coating on chicken, but would like to avoid the refined carbohydrates and fat of fried chicken. I’ve been searching for something that gives chicken that same satisfying crunch in a baked version. Paleo circles use almond meal to coat chicken. I tried it and found it to be too heavy, not crisp enough, and fairly high in calories (although delicious).

Then I had an idea; what about coconut meal? Maybe coconut meal (which has more texture than coconut flour) would be a healthy way to add coconut flavor to the chicken, eliminate gluten, and increase crispness. As an added benefit, it is both high in fiber and low in saturated fat. And, coconut fried shrimp have a lovely crunch (although there is still the problem of frying), so crunch is possible.

Thus was born Coconut Crusted Chicken!

With the chicken I wanted to serve something festive. There were some Fuyu persimmons, picked up at a farm stand the week before, in a bowl on the counter. I made a simple caprese salad by replacing the usual tomatoes with persimmons, garnishing with pomegranate seeds and chopped almonds. As a finishing touch I drizzled an aged balsamic vinegar over the whole.

Coconut crusted chicken

Coconut Crusted Chicken

• 6 -8 bone-in chicken thighs, trimmed to remove any excess skin and fat (you can use other cuts, adjust the cooking time)
• 1 cup of coconut meal
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Place racks in a roasting or baking pan large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer.
3. Place the coconut meal, salt, and cumin in a shallow bowl or plate and mix.
4. Roll the chicken in the coating, patting it on to cover all sides
5. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the racks.
6. Roast for 45 minutes to an hour until juices run clear and chicken is crisp.

Persimmon caprese

Persimmon Caprese Salad

• 4 fuyu persimmons, sliced about ¼ inch thick
• 1 large ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced ¼ inch thick
• ¼ cup of pomegranate seeds
• ¼ cup of chopped roast almonds
• Aged balsamic vinegar
• Salt and pepper

1. Alternate the persimmon and mozzarella slices on a platter.
2. Generously salt and pepper.
3. Garnish with the almonds and pomegranate seeds.
4. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

Persimmon caprese

I added a salad of arugula for a touch of green and the sharpness of the leaves.

Coconut crusted chicken with persimmon caprese

It worked!

I’m taking this to the party at Friday Favorites sponsored by the Blog The Diary of a Real Housewife, and Real Food Fridays sponsored by Lydia’s Flexitarian Kitchen. Come join us at the last parties of 2014. Happy Holidays!