May 2023:
RECIPE OF THE WEEK FROM HIGHFIELD HALL & GARDENS STAFF, GAIL BLAKELY
A different chicken parm, for the spring time. This is a recipe that I adapted from America’s Test Kitchen, one of the more reliable websites out there. I like it because it comes together quickly, and the result is one of those dishes that is more than just the sum of its parts. With it I like to serve a green salad, but if you have little ones, you might want to add a simple buttered pasta.
Parmesan Chicken with Cherry Tomato Salad
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 4 thin cut boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (1 lb)
- 6 tbsp olive oil (or 90/10 chef’s oil)*
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil (or dehydrated, in a pinch)
- 1 tbsp very good olive oil (your finishing oil—I like Brightland’s Alive which I order from California, but any best quality oil will do)
- Maldon Sea Salt
Instructions
- Beat the eggs in a shallow bowl with 1 tbsp water; add flour and whisk until smooth. In another shallow bowl, mix the panko and shredded Parmesan. Dry the chicken breasts and season with salt and pepper; one at a time, dredge the chicken pieces in the egg/flour mixture, then coat with panko mixture, pressing to adhere the crumbs to the chicken.
- Heat 3 tbsp oil in a large skillet over medium high heat; cook two of the cutlets until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes per side. Remove from the skillet and place on a paper towel lined plate; add the remaining oil to the pan and cook the remaining cutlets. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, toss the tomatoes with the good olive oil; grate the garlic clove with a microplane grater and add the basil to the tomato mixture. Toss this well and let it stand for up to an hour before serving.
- To serve, place the chicken cutlets on a plate and top with the cherry tomatoes and their juices. Season with a little flaky sea salt (Maldon preferred) and serve immediately.