Chicken Milanese

Milanese is usually made with a veal cutlet -- pounded, very thin, breaded and then sauteed. But because some people have an issue with veal, I made this with chicken. It is usually topped with a chopped salad. It is good any time of the year, and you can put any kind of chopped salad you want on top, but it is usually made with arugula, tomatoes and red onion. I like to add a few slices of good quality Parmesan Reggiano. 

1 whole skinless chicken breast

2 eggs

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 oz unsalted butter

Salt and pepper

For salad (use as much as you would like):

Arugula

Red onion (diced or sliced)

Cherry tomatoes (cut in half)

Radicchio (chopped; optional)

Parmesan Reggiano

Garlic lemon vinagrette (see previous post)

Assemble the flour, eggs and Panko in separate containers. Butterfly the chicken breast and place between two sheets of saran wrap and pound to about 1/4 inch thick with a meat pounder. If you don't have a meat pounder, you can buy one at any grocery store or have your butcher do it for you. 

Peel away the saran wrap. Salt and pepper chicken on both sides. Coat the cutlet in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs, patting the bread crumbs so that they adhere to the chicken. Set aside. Prepare your salad and vinagrette, but do not dress until the last minute.

Next, in a saute pan large enough to hold the cutlet, heat 1-1/2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil and 1 oz of butter over medium-high heat. Do not let it burn. Add your cutlet. Cook for several minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a dish, add the rest of the extra virgin olive oil and butter and brown the other side.

Plate and place a mound of salad on top with a few slices of cheese and some of the grated lemon zest from the garlic vinagrette and a sprinkle of salt and freshly ground pepper. Even though this is one piece of chicken, adding all the other ingredients expands the size and two people could easily share this, so feel free to either indulge or share!