Chicken Milanese With Fennel Salad Food

CHICKEN MILANESE WITH TOMATO AND FENNEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For the chicken: Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 150 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a wire rack.
• Using 3 wide shallow bowls, add the flour to 1, the eggs to another and to the third bowl combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, basil, and thyme.
• On a work surface, put the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet, lightly pound the chicken until approximately 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour to coat lightly, then dip into the beaten eggs, allowing the excess egg to drip off. Coat the chicken with the bread crumb mixture, pressing gently to adhere.
• In a large, nonstick saute pan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add 2 pieces of the breaded chicken into the oil and cook until light golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to the prepared baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Reserve the cooking juices in the saute pan.
• For the sauce: Using the same saute pan, add the olive oil to the reserved cooking juices and heat over medium heat. Add the fennel and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, about 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in the cherry tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes until the tomatoes are tender. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the mascarpone cheese and stir until the mixture is creamy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and spoon the sauce over the top before serving.

CHICKEN MILANESE

Steps:

• Place 1 chicken breast between 2 sheets of wax paper. Pound with a meat mallet, rolling pin or heavy skillet until 1/4 inch thick. The thinner and more even, the better. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
• Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in separate shallow baking dishes and season each with salt and pepper.
• Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Dredge each breast in the flour and tap off the excess. Next, dip into the egg wash and let any excess drip off. Finally, dredge in the breadcrumbs, pressing to help the crumbs adhere evenly on both sides. Transfer the breaded chicken to a wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet. This step can be done up to 30 minutes in advance.
• Heat 2 inches of the canola oil in a large high-sided saute pan over medium heat until the oil begins to shimmer. Cook 1 or 2 cutlets at a time in a single layer until golden brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the cutlets to another wire rack set over a rimmed baking sheet and immediately sprinkle with salt. Let the cutlets rest a few minutes while you make the salad.
• Whisk together the lemon juice with some salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in the 1/4 cup olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Stir in the onion and let sit a few seconds. Taste and add more olive oil, if needed. Add the arugula and Parmesan and toss to coat; season with salt and pepper.
• Place each cutlet on a plate and top with a large amount of salad. Serve lemon wedges on the side.

SPICY GRILLED CHICKEN WITH CRUNCHY FENNEL SALAD

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry and season with salt. Set aside on a plate.
• Smash garlic under the flat side of a chef's knife on your cutting board. Add anchovies, if using, chile, and a couple of pinches of salt and continue smashing with the side of your knife until a paste forms. (You can also do this with a mortar and pestle.) Transfer paste to a large bowl and stir in tomato paste, oregano, and 3 Tbsp. oil. Add chicken and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, prepare a grill for medium heat. Clean and oil grate. Grill chicken, turning once, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side.
• While the chicken is cooking, grill lemons, cut side down, until lightly charred and starting to caramelize, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
• Transfer chicken to platter with lemons and let rest 5 minutes.
• While the chicken is resting, toss fennel, onion, and vinegar in a medium bowl; drizzle with remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and season with a big pinch of salt and toss once more.
• Mound fennel salad next to chicken and sprinkle sesame seeds over both. Squeeze grilled lemons over chicken and fennel salad.

CHICKEN MILANESE

Steps:

• Cover the chicken breasts with plastic wrap and gently pound the chicken out to 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle the chicken with salt.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat to 360 degrees F.
• Season the flour with salt in a small bowl. Combine the panko and Parmesan in a small bowl. Begin breading the chicken by dredging it in the flour, then the beaten eggs, then the panko mixture, shaking off any excess in between. Let sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes.
• Add the oil to the hot skillet, followed by 2 pieces of chicken. Cook until golden brown and crisp on both sides and the chicken is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove the chicken to a wire rack and season it lightly with salt. Repeat with the remaining chicken, adding more oil to the pan as necessary.
• Serve with a lemon wedge on top of each piece of chicken.

CHICKEN MILANESE

Steps:

• Preheat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Season the pounded cutlets evenly on all sides with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Place the flour, eggs and breadcrumbs in 3 separate, shallow bowls. Season the flour with 1/4 teaspoon salt, the eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the breadcrumbs with 1/2 teaspoon salt. One at a time, dredge the seasoned chicken cutlets in the flour, then the egg mixture finishing with the breadcrumbs, pressing gently to make sure the breadcrumbs are evenly coating the chicken.
• Add the oil to the hot pan and heat another 10 seconds. Add the breaded chicken to the pan and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until the first side is deep golden brown and the chicken is beginning to look cooked around the edges. Work in batches if needed. Flip the cutlets and continue to cook on the second side until golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes longer. Remove the chicken to a wire rack and season with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper if desired. Serve hot with 1 or 2 lemon wedges and a small arugula salad, if desired.

CHICKEN MILANESE

Steps:

• Place your palm flat against the top of each chicken breast and carefully slice each piece in half horizontally; you'll be left with 4 thinner chicken breast pieces. Place each chicken cutlet between 2 sheets of waxed paper and use the smooth side of a mallet (or a rolling pin) to pound them until they're very thin. If you think they're thin enough -- pound 'em a few more times! The thinner the better.
• In a dish, whisk together the milk and eggs. Place the flour in another dish and mix in some salt and pepper. Place the breadcrumbs in a third dish. Set the 3 dishes aside for a sec.
• Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken pieces, then dredge them 1 at a time in the flour, then quickly dunk both sides in the egg mixture and then coat both sides in the breadcrumbs. Lay each piece on a plate until you're ready to cook them.
• Heat 1 tablespoon butter and 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. When it's melted and hot, add 2 pieces of the breaded chicken and cook, flipping once, until the breading is golden brown and the chicken is cooked, 2 to 3 minutes per side; transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Add the other tablespoon of butter and oil to the skillet and cook the other 2 pieces of chicken.
• To serve, place 1 piece of cooked chicken on each plate. Top generously with arugula. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt, drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle on some Parmesan shavings. Serve with a lemon wedge on the side.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH FENNEL

Steps:

• Heat oven to 450 degrees. Drizzle bottom of shallow roasting pan or baking sheet with about half the olive oil and cover it with a layer of the fennel. Overlap pieces if necessary but use whole pan. Drizzle remaining oil over fennel and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut up chicken if necessary and sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper.
• Top fennel with the chicken parts, skin side up. Ideally, you'll have a layer of fennel pretty much covered by a layer of chicken, but it's fine if some of the fennel roasts uncovered. Spoon some of the oil from bottom of pan over chicken. If there is not enough, drizzle additional olive oil over the chicken. Roast about 15 minutes, then baste chicken with pan drippings and rotate the pan. If necessary, adjust oven temperature so chicken browns but does not burn.
• The chicken will be done in about 30 minutes. Serve each piece with some fennel and a little of the pan juices spooned over, garnished with parsley and a lemon wedge.

CHICKEN MILANESE WITH ARUGULA SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss breadcrumbs and oil until well combined; spread on sheet. Cook, tossing once, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Place flour and eggs in separate bowls; season with salt and pepper. Place a rack on another rimmed baking sheet.
• One at a time, place chicken breasts between two large pieces of plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or bottom of a small heavy pan, pound until 1/2 inch thick. Coat chicken on both sides with flour (shaking off excess), then dip in eggs (allowing excess to drip off); dredge in breadcrumbs, pressing firmly to adhere.
• Bake chicken on rack, without turning, until opaque throughout, 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a bowl, whisk together remaining 2 tablespoons oil and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper. Add arugula and onion; toss. Top chicken with salad; serve with lemon wedges on the side.