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chicken milanese with arugula-fennel salad |
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Tuesday, 23 October 2007 |
chicken milanese with arugula-fennel salad
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Indian Summer hit San Francisco this weekend—finally. I love that hot days/cold nights contrast. This dish has the same feel: warm, crisp chicken topped with cool, crunchy salad. Plus it’s quick, easy, and darn stylish. It’s great as a sexy dinner for two, but you can make it for your family if that’s not what your Indian Summer is all about!
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serves 2 or 4 (see note)
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prep time: 10 minutes |
cook time: 5 minutes |
2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs (see tip)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
2 pinches cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper
1 egg
Olive oil
2 big handfuls arugula or more if desired
1 head fennel, optional
1 lemon
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Put a chicken breast between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and pound it pretty flat (about 1/4-inch thick) with a mallet, rolling pin, or bottom of a pot. Remove, then flatten the other breast the same way. On a plate, mix the bread crumbs, oregano, cayenne, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and several grindings of pepper. In a shallow bowl (like a pasta bowl), beat the egg with a fork. Line up the chicken, egg, and bread crumbs alongside the stove.
Pour 1/4 cup oil into a large nonstick frying pan and place pan over medium-high heat. When oil is hot but not smoking, dip chicken breasts one at a time in egg, then in bread crumbs to coat (shaking off excess), then place in the pan. Cook until golden brown on the bottom (2 to 3 minutes), then turn over and cook until golden brown on the other side and no longer pink in the middle (2 to 3 minutes more). Transfer cooked chicken to warmed plate and keep warm in a low oven if necessary.
While the chicken cooks, put arugula in a salad bowl. If using fennel, core and slice it as thinly as possible (preferably on a mandolin) and add to arugula. Squeeze lemon juice over salad, sprinkle with a good pinch of salt, then drizzle in olive oil to taste (about 3 tablespoons). Toss and serve a pile of greens on top of each chicken breast. |
note: chicken breasts vary widely in size these days and if you buy larger ones and pound them, they can easily be cut in half to serve two people each, especially if kids are involved. Or you can simply double this whole recipe for 4 portions.
tip: panko are Japanese-style bread crumbs, often found in the Asian section of the supermarket. You can use plain dry bread crumbs, but it won’t be as crispy.
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