Chicken Milanese with Arugula & Tomatoes
There’s a lot goin’ on in this photo from one of last week’s family dinners, but the main dish (tucked up there in the left-hand corner) is Chicken Milanese. In the smaller white bowl to its right is tomato, red onion, garlic & basil (with balsamic vinegar and olive oil), and in the large wooden bowl to the far right is arugula dressed with a garlicky lemon vinaigrette, both of which go atop the crispy chicken breasts. There are other goodies scattered around the table, like a vegetable ragú (leftover from the previous night’s Vegetable Lasagna), creamy polenta and fresh Parmesan. (I love to make Chicken Milanese in the summer with a side of fresh corn on the cob, too.) I feel I should also make mention of the beautiful Mud plates (in a range of white, grey and black) and Cutipol cutlery (which are both available at Nyack’s lovely Archive Home store), the blue Steinwelder trivet (which I have 5 of—in various sizes—and use nonstop), Duralex glasses (for wine, water, whatever) and my new favorite salad servers from our recent trip to South Africa (for the incredible wedding of Colin Cowie and Danny Peuscovich, which feels like a lifetime ago.) Surrounding myself with beautiful things is proving therapeutic during these endless quarantining times. This meal is a family favorite and even Catherine, who’s now vegan, was looking at it longingly, recalling the days when she enjoyed eating chicken. (I promised her an eggplant version soon.) I don’t really follow one specific recipe for this dish, but I’ve found Melissa Clark’s for the NYT an inspiration (although without the butter).
Serves 4
Ingredients for Chicken
1 ½ pounds chicken cutlets, pounded 1/4-inch thick
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as needed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, beaten
1 ¼ cups bread crumbs (I either use panko or homemade, which I used above)
Lemon wedges, for serving
Preparation
Lightly season chicken cutlets all over with salt and pepper.
Place flour in a shallow bowl. Pour eggs into another shallow bowl and breadcrumbs into a third bowl.
Dip chicken cutlet in flour, shake off excess, then dip in eggs. Shake off excess, then dip both sides in breadcrumb mixture and transfer to a rimmed baking sheet. Repeat with remaining cutlets. At this point, I usually place the chicken in the fridge while I prepare the rest of the meal. (So they don’t get soggy, Melissa Clark suggests placing them on a wire rack in the fridge.)
When ready to cook the chicken, heat olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. When oil is hot, fry 2 cutlets at a time until bottoms are golden, about 3 minutes. Flip and fry until golden and crispy all over, about another 3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle immediately with salt.
Serve cutlets topped with a squeeze of lemon, and a serving of arugula topped with the tomato mixture. Add freshly cracked pepper and enjoy.
Ingredients for Tomato Salad
6-8 torn basil leaves
1 large garlic clove, finely grated or minced
1 pound cherry or grape tomatoes, quartered
1/4 of a small red onion, sliced
3 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
Salt & pepper to taste
Preparation
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix. I do this as close to the time we’re ready to eat as possible.
Ingredients for Arugula Salad
5 oz. arugula
3 tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 large garlic clove, minced
Salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Preparation
Place arugula in a large salad bowl.
Combine all dressing ingredients in a small bowl, whisk together and toss with arugula just before serving.
