One of my all time favorite dishes from my travels to Argentina is Chicken Milanese. We call it Chicken Cutlets here in the states. It is one of the easiest and best ways to fry chicken and it is so good, too! You can skip the flour, if you prefer, and start with the egg but if you do, be certain to season your breadcrumbs with salt and pepper. Best of all, you can make a big batch of these and freeze some for later. After you have coated the chicken, simply spread them out on a pan lined with parchment paper and freeze for 8 hours. Then place them in a freezer bag and use them when you need to get dinner on the table fast!
EASY CHICKEN MILANESE
Easy Chicken Milanese (Chicken Cutlets/Thin Chicken Breasts) are so fast, so easy, and so good!
Special tools: plastic wrap, meat mallet or other utensil for pounding, I use a rolling pin
INGREDIENTS
6 boneless chicken breasts, get thin ones if you can find them
1 cup all purpose flour
3 eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon Herbs de Provence, or a mix of dried thyme and rosemary
Oil for frying, canola is good or a mixture of canola and olive oil is nice
Serve with marinara, arugula, Parmesan cheese shards, lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS:
If the breasts are very thick, butterfly them before you start or slice in half, across the middle (horizontally) to create two pieces. Place plastic wrap on the counter. I use a ziptop bag with the sides cut open because it is thicker and does not tear. Place the chicken breast in the center on one side and cover with the other side. Use a mallet or other tool, (I use a rolling pin) to pound the chicken but don’t be aggressive or tear it. It should be about 1/2 inch thick.
Set up a baking sheet with a wire rack on top.
Set up a dredge station using shallow dishes: one for the flour, one for the egg, and one for the breadcrumbs. Add salt and pepper to the flour and mix together. Add the Herbs de Provence to the breadcrumbs and stir to mix. Take 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs and put in a zip top bag. Roll over them or use your mallet to crush them a bit so they are a finer texture than the Panko. Return to the dish and stir to mix.
Dredge the chicken, one piece at a time in the flour. Shake off excess. Dip both sides into the beaten eggs, shake off excess. Place in the breadcrumbs and press down slightly, making sure both sides are well coated with breadcrumbs. Shake off excess.
Remove to the wire rack and complete the other five pieces in the same way. It is better if the chicken sits for 10 minutes before frying.
Add oil to your pan, you will need to add enough to go about 1/4 inch up the side of the pan. For my pan, it was a 1/2 cup.
Bring the oil to 350˚ Fahrenheit, or when it waves, but not smoking. If you get it too hot, turn off the burner for a few minutes and let it cool down before frying or you’ll burn the breadcrumbs before the chicken is completely done inside. The chicken is very thin, so it only takes about 3 minutes per side. Let it brown completely before turning.
Remove to the prepared rack but don’t put it on paper towels or you will have a soggy rather than crunchy exterior.
Serve with arugula, shaved Parmesan chards, lemon, and my easy Marriage Proposal Marinara. Okay to use store bought marinara or whatever you have.