What can I say… I like chicken fried steak. There is something very comforting about this dish and I had it on my list of dishes to make for you. But this morning, I had a stroke of genius – change up the standard delicious chicken fried steak by seasoning it with dukkah. This flavorful Egyptian blend consists of sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, sunflower seeds, cumin, coriander, salt and sumac among other spices. I figured these flavors would really enhance the chicken fried steak, especially if paired with a unique starch and a robust gravy. For the starch, I chose lightly fried orzo and farro while the gravy would be a mushroom and sweet pepper concoction. Adding a simple sauteed fresh green beans rounds out the full meal. I can tell you that this dish came out fabulous. Frying the steak in a dukkah and panko crust browned beautifully while the scent and flavors were amazing. I loved the low key starch augmented with the gravy’s robustness. If you have not tried dukkah, I suggest you do. It is typically used as a dip for breads and vegetables, but it can be used for much, much more as this recipe demonstrates. Now that I have proven this blend can be used outside the normal uses, I plan to create/try other dishes in the near future. So give yourself a nice present and pick up some dukkah, you will be well rewarded!

Heat a small saute pan over Medium heat. Heat a medium saute pan over Medium-High heat. Add the olive oil and butter for the gravy into the medium saute pan. When the bubbling stops, add the mushrooms and saute for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the onions halfway through cooking the mushrooms. While the mushrooms cook, lightly season the cube steak with salt and pepper on both sides. Place 3 small plates out as a breading station. Place the flour in the first one, the beaten egg in the second one, and half the panko crumbs blended with half the dukkah in the last one. Blend the remaining panko crumbs and dukkah in a small bowl and set aside. Flour both sides of the cube steak, shaking off the excess. Place the cube steak in the egg and coat both sides. Place the cube steak into the panko crumb mixture and cover with the reserved crumb mixture. Press the crumbs to cover and coat the full cube steak. Add the canola oil and butter for the chicken fried steak to the small saute pan. Increase the heat to Medium/Medium-High. When the butter melts and starts to brown, add the cube steak frying for 3 – 4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Remove the steak to a plate when golden brown on both sides. When the mushrooms and onions are lightly browned, add the pepper and saute for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and little salt and pepper, cooking until fragrant, approximately 30 seconds. Add any loose flour from the dredging to the pan and stir to combine.[br]If too dry, be sure to add a little extra butter to create a light roux. Add the broth and stock, stirring to combine and simmer to the desired thickness. Spoon the gravy on and beside the steak and garnish with the scallions and/or parsley, if desired.

Enjoy!

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