Chicken Milanese

Tonight I am putting together Chicken Milanese for Phil and I with some sauted Swiss Chard and roasted Yukon potatoes. I love this type of dinner. Chicken Milanese is delicious in it's simplicity, it is basically chicken cutlets and I like to add some fresh lemon zest and chopped flat leaf parsley to my breadcrumbs to add a little brightness to the dish. I also like making Turkey Milanese or Pork Milanese. Here is my recipe for Chicken Milanese

2 boneless chicken breasts, pounded out to 1/2 inch thick
1 cup unseasoned breadcrumb
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 egg mixed with 2 tbls of water
1/2 cup all purpose flour
salt and pepper
olive oil for frying the cutlets

Set up three wide bowls for your breading station. You will start with the flour, then egg and then the breadcrumb. In the egg bowl, season egg and water with salt and pepper. Season the flour as well with salt and pepper. Mix together breadcrumb, cheese, parsley, lemon zest in the third bowl and season with salt and pepper. In a heavy bottom saute pan, heat olive oil, enough to shallow fry the cutlets. Begin breading by dunking cutlet in the flour, shaking any excess off before going into the egg and then finally the breadcrumbs, ensure the entire cutlet is coated. Before placing the cutlet into the pan, test the heat of the oil by tossing in a pinch of breadcrumb. If it falls to the bottom the oil is not ready. If it floats and begins to make music to you it is ready for the chicken. Once the chicken is placed into the pan you will fry it on both sides, about 4-5 minutes on each side or until golden brown. When they are done, place on rack to allow any excess oil to drip off and this will keep them crispy until you serve them. This can be served at room temp or right from the pan and it is even delicious as leftovers right from the fridge. I like to mix a salad of frisee, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice and oil to put on top of the cutlet sometimes, pending on what I have in the fridge. Enjoy!