Chicken à la Maryland

By
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin
Rebecca Franklin is a freelance lifestyle writer and recipe developer. Her expertise is in French cuisine, which she writes about and teaches.
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Updated on 07/23/21
Chicken a la Maryland

The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 35 mins
Marinate: 60 mins
Total: 110 mins
Servings: 6 servings
Yield: 6 chicken breasts

Chicken à la Maryland is fried boneless chicken that is dressed with a gravy and accompanied by bananas. It is said that this famous dish was prepared with a decidedly French twist and offered on the first-class menu of the doomed Titanic voyage in 1912. Thankfully, the recipe survived, and it was one of the greatest chefs of the 20th century who helped make it popular, even if the recipe wasn't originally his. Auguste Escoffier's version, published in his acclaimed book "Ma Cuisine," is the inspiration for this take on juicy and flavorful Maryland chicken. The original recipe dredges the chicken in flour, eggs, and breadcrumbs, and then fries it in butter, but this recipe bakes the chicken breast instead, until it is juicy inside and crunchy outside.

Escoffier's version, along with countless others, includes some form of banana garnish. This is because, despite the dish's origins in French cooking, bananas were one of Baltimore's prime imports around the time this dish became popular in the United States. Although bananas might seem like an odd addition, this tropical fruit was considered a luxury and its expensive price made it a commodity not all households could afford. Thus, serving chicken with bananas on the side was a symbol of status.

This dish has variations, but bananas and gravy seem to be a common denominator. Most current versions fry and steam the chicken at the same time by browning it first, then covering the pan to ensure the meat is thoroughly cooked, and serving it with pan gravy. This recipe features a luscious béchamel sauce but keeps the classic garnish of sweet bananas.

Ingredients

For the Chicken:

For the Béchamel Sauce:

  • 2 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

  • 2 cups milk, divided

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 dash freshly grated nutmeg

For the Banana Garnish:

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 medium ripe, firm bananas, sliced

Steps to Make It

Prepare the Chicken

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Chicken à la Maryland ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. In a large, shallow pan, place the chicken and add the buttermilk. Cover and marinate it in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

    Chicken in a buttermilk marinade

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Preheat the oven to 375 F. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and drain and discard the buttermilk. Set the chicken to the side.

    Chicken in a baking dish

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  4. Melt the butter in a pan over medium heat and set aside.

    Melting butter in a pan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  5. Prepare a shallow bowl with flour, another with the beaten eggs, and another with the breadcrumbs.

    Three separate bowls: flour, egg mixture, and breadcrumbs

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  6. Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour, then the eggs, and lastly the breadcrumbs until all pieces are well coated.

    Dipping and dredging chicken so each is covered in breadcrumbs

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  7. Arrange the chicken breasts in a roasting pan and generously drizzle with the melted butter.

    Breaded chicken in a roasting pan, drizzled with melted butter

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  8. Bake the chicken for 30 to 40 minutes, turning once halfway through, until it has a golden brown color.

    Baked chicken in a roasting pan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Make the Béchamel

  1. Gather the sauce ingredients.

    Ingredients for making the béchamel sauce

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and whisk in the flour until it forms a smooth paste.

    Butter and flour mixture whisked together in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Continue whisking and cook for about 2 minutes, and then gradually add the milk, 1/3 cup at a time. Stir well and cook until the sauce is thoroughly heated through, smooth, and thickened. Remove from the heat and season with the salt and nutmeg.

    Add milk, salt, and nutmeg to the flour mixture in the saucepan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Make the Banana Garnish

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Banana garnish ingredients

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Melt the butter in a large skillet set over medium heat.

    Butter in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  3. Sauté the banana slices in the butter until they turn golden brown, flipping halfway through.

    Bananas cooking in butter in a saucepan

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

Assemble the Chicken

  1. Arrange 2 pieces of chicken per person on a warm plate. Drizzle it with a bit of béchamel sauce and garnish the plate with a few slices of sautéed banana.

    Chicken à la Maryland on a plate

    The Spruce / Abbey Littlejohn

  2. Enjoy.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
734 Calories
31g Fat
61g Carbs
51g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 6
Amount per serving
Calories 734
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g 40%
Saturated Fat 17g 84%
Cholesterol 230mg 77%
Sodium 835mg 36%
Total Carbohydrate 61g 22%
Dietary Fiber 4g 13%
Total Sugars 19g
Protein 51g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 282mg 22%
Iron 4mg 23%
Potassium 936mg 20%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)