HERB-CRUMBED ROASTED CHICKEN WITH WATERCRESS

Herb-Crumbed Roasted Chicken With Watercress image

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Time 2h

Yield Four servings

Number Of Ingredients 14

2 cups buttermilk
2 chicken breasts, split in half, and 2 chicken legs, separated at the joint, skinned
2 cups bread crumbs
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Olive oil spray
1 cup all-purpose flour
6 bunches watercress, thick stems removed, washed but not dried
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 chicken legs, separated at the joint, skinned

Steps:

Place the buttermilk in a large, shallow dish. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat. Cover and let stand for 1 hour. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, rosemary, thyme, parsley, 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt and pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 2 baking sheets lightly with the olive oil. Remove the chicken from the buttermilk and coat each piece with flour. Dip each piece back into the buttermilk and then coat with the bread-crumb mixture.
Place the chicken on the baking sheets, spacing pieces as far apart as possible. Bake until the chicken is cooked through and the crust is crisp, about 45 minutes.
In a large saucepan heated over medium heat, toss the watercress until just wilted. Add the lemon juice, olive oil, remaining salt and pepper to taste. Divide the chicken and the watercress among 4 plates and serve immediately.