Chicken Milanese

This is another one of those fast, cheap and delicious recipes that never gets old. You should be able to go from start to finish in under 45 minutes, an hour if you take your time. You can substitute pork, veal or turkey for the chicken and it remains just as awesome.

Chicken Breasts

4 free range chicken breasts, trimmed of the fat
2 cups of AP flour
2 cups Panko bread crumbs (sub white or Italian)
2 eggs, scrambled and heavily seasoned with salt and pepper
1 cups of Italian bread crumbs
3 oz of vegetable oil

First get set up by laying out three large baking dishes, i like to use 9" pie rounds or squares. Put them next to each other and fill the 1st with the flour, the 2nd with the eggs and the 3rd with the breadcrumbs. Put a baking sheet at the end, covered with wax paper for your completed chicken breasts.

Then, place a single chicken breast on a large cutting board and cover with a piece of plastic wrap. Lightly pound the chicken breast with the smooth side of a mallet, starting at the center and working outward. They will be about 3 times bigger then when you started, or about 1/2" thick. Don't hit it to hard or it will start to break up, practice makes prefect on this one.

Dredge the chicken breast in the flour and shake off the excess, dredge it in the egg mixture and drain off the excess, then dredge it in to the bread crumb mixture making sure to press the breadcrumbs firmly into the chicken breast. Set aside on the baking sheet and finish the remaining breasts. Start a large frying pan on medium high heat (6 of 10) and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the chicken breasts one or two at a time so you do not over crowd the pan. They are ready quickly, about 5 minutes on each side or until they are golden brown. Place on a paper towel on the baking sheet.

Balsamic Viniagrette

3 oz good aged balsamic vinegar
3 oz extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram or other aromatic herb (basil, thyme, oregano)
salt & pepper to taste

This is the best and easiest salad dressing to make ever. Mix all of the ingredient except the oil and whisk together. Slowly add the oil and keep whisking. Thats it, perfection is easy sometimes.

Salad

5 roma tomatoes, cut into 1/8 sections lengthwise
4 hand fulls of arugula or Italian salad blend (I prefer to use a blend of treviso, endive and arugula but this is what I had)
1/2 sweet vidialia onion thin sliced

Make the balsamic vinaigrette in a large salad bowl. Cut the tomatoes and onions and add them to the balsamic vinaigrette and let them soak at least 15 minutes. Once the chicken is done, add the salad mix to the tomatoes and toss. Place one piece of chicken on each plate and top it with your salad. Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the whole thing and garnish with a lemon wedge.

This recipe feeds 4 people and costs under $20. Add a few bottles of your favorite wine and you have a perfect double dinner date. I want to give a big thanks to Josue, for kitchen work, and Laura & Nicole for clean up. Good Times!