How do you pronounce “pecan”? pick-KHAN? PEE-can? pee-KHAN? PEE-kahn? In Mississippi, I grew up with “pick-KAHN” pie. When I hear a famous southern celebrity chef from Georgia say “PEE-can”, I always think, “that’s not how southerners pronounce that word!”. When I looked into it, I found that east coasters actually do say “PEE-can”. I’ve always been fascinated with regional dialects and pronunciations of words, so I decided to do a little research and it turns out that the way this common nut’s name is spoken is, in fact, regional.
According to my research, “pee-KAHN” is the most predominant pronunciation nationwide. The pronunciation, “PEE-can”, primarily comes from east coasters and New Englanders. The states of Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi say “pick-KAHN” and the upper Midwest pronounces it as “PEE-kahn”.
Pecan trees are ubiquitous in Mississippi. I vividly remember picking up pecans in our back yard and spending hours cracking and picking the pecan halves for a fresh pie or for freezing for later use. We even had nut crackers and picks made specifically for pecans.
I think pecans truly are one of the most versatile of all nuts. Obviously, pecan pie, the classic southern dessert, makes good use of these nuts. A mixture of pecan and brown sugar tops sweet potato casseroles across the country during the holidays. Both sweet and savory dishes feature pecans and a simple, roasted version of these nuts makes a perfect snack, especially during the holidays.
Our family always celebrated Christmas day at my paternal grandparents’ house and before the holiday feast, my Grandma always had a plate of pecans roasted with butter and salt for snacking. She always greeted us by saying, “Chrismas gift” when we arrived at her house. I have such fond memories of all those Christmases from my childhood.
Ingredients
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3/4 cup chopped pecan halves
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
5 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
3/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup high quality white wine
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons chopped sage
Salt and pepper
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Place chicken breast between two sheets of plastic wrap or in a large food storage bag. Using a meat mallet, pound breast to an even 1/2 inch thickness. You'll mostly be pounding on the thicker end of the breast. Repeat with remaining 3 breasts.
3. Mix mayonnaise and mustard in a small bowl.
4. Mix pecans, bread crumbs, parsley, butter, salt and pepper together in a small bowl.
5. Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Spread a layer of mayonnaise mixture on each breast and cover with pecan mixture. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees.
1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small sauce pan. Add shallots and saute for 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken stock and wine. Simmer until liquid has reduced by half.
2. Add heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly after each addition and letting each portion of butter melt completely before adding next one.
3. Add sage and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Plate chicken breasts and add sauce to taste.
https://southernboydishes.com/2013/12/17/pecan-encrusted-chicken-breast-with-sage-butter-sauce/
Bill Harris
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I have this irrational fear of mayo. Would plain Greek yogurt be an acceptable substitute?
Bill, as always, your work is impeccable. Your recipes always make me happy, from the beautiful photos to the incredible ideas and flavor combinations, I would just love to put you in my kitchen for a year to make dinner for my family! I just adore your work. Thanks for all that you do!
I really appreciate the compliment, Jocelyn. It means a lot coming from you!!
I’m definitely a “pee-KAHN”er. 🙂 Bill, you’ve definitely outdone yourself with this one. The pecan crusted chicken was fine with me, but the sauce…over the top! WOW!
Thank you, MJ! 🙂
Thanks so much for sharing your memories and recipe…sounds wonderful and I will definitely prepare this over the holidays! Merry Christmas and thanks for all your posts!
Thanks so much for dropping by SBD. I hope you and your family have a Merry Christmas!
I don’t eat much pecans, but your chicken looks very moist with a crunchy crust. That sage butter sauce must be so earthy and savory. This definitely sounds like a perfect meal. Yum!
I’m in the pee-KAHN camp. It’s so interesting the way different words are pronounced so differently throughout the world. Or how people have different words for the same thing: pop and soda, for example. Anyway, this has nothing to do with this most excellent looking recipe. Love the idea of coating chicken with pecan, and I’ll eat it no matter how it’s pronounced! Good stuff – thanks.
Thanks, John!
That is a gorgeous plate of delicious food Bill. Love Peekhans in any form.
Your Christmas with grandma sounds so sweet, some memories are truly beautiful.
Thank you, Ash!