Chicken Milanese

When I started getting into freezer cooking I first looked to dishes that I already made regularly and enjoyed to see if they might freeze well.  This chicken dish has long been a favorite of mine. Obviously the salad will not freeze well but the chicken can be breaded and frozen.  The salad is so easy to throw together that having the chicken prepped makes this a very easy meal indeed.  Plus this chicken could go very well with any number of salads.

Update: I've come up with other ways to use fried, breaded chicken cutlets.  Check them out!


Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
Difficulty: Easy
Category: Simple Side
Recipe Column: AS

1 cup flour
2 eggs beaten with 1 tablespoon water
1.5 cups Panko breadcrumbs
0.5 cups grated parmesan
1.25 lbs thin sliced, boneless chicken breasts (I buy these already sliced at the grocery store to save on time and energy.  You can buy chicken breasts and slice them yourself if you feel so inclined.)

1. Set up your breading station with three shallow pans or bowls with the flour in one, the eggs in the next and the Panko mixed with parmesan in the last.
   
2.  Bread a chicken breast by first coating it all over in flour.  Shake of the excess flour off the chicken breast and dip it in the egg mixture.  Once it is coated in egg, move it to the Panko pan and coat completely with crumbs.  Move the now breaded chicken breast to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.  When breading something use one hand for the dry ingredients (flour and breadcrumbs) and the other for the wet (eggs) to cut down on the amount of breading that sticks to your hands, or make a large batch with a friend or family member.  The process goes much faster and it is easier to keep your hands cleaner if you are not doing it all by yourself.

To freeze:

Place your raw, breaded chicken on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper in a single layer.  When you run out of room on your pan, you can lay another piece of parchment over the first layer and create another layer of chicken on top.  Only do two layers of chicken per pan.  Any more than that and they take too long to freeze.  Freeze the chicken on the pan until solid and then move to a container for storage.

To serve:

Thaw as many of the chicken breasts as you plan to serve overnight in the refrigerator.  Pour enough olive or vegetable oil into a large frying pan to generously cover the bottom.  Heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Do not add the chicken until the oil is hot.  I generally test to see if the oil is hot enough by get my fingertips wet and flicking some water droplets into the oil.  This should cause the oil to sizzle and spatter.  However, all this spattering with hot oil can be very dangerous.  As an alternative you could toss a few breadcrumbs into the oil or even dip the end of one of the chicken pieces in the oil.  The oil should start sizzling immediately if the oil is hot enough.  

Once the oil is hot, add the chicken pieces in a single layer.  You may require multiple batches to cook all the pieces.  Cook the chicken until golden brown on one side, flip and cook to golden brown on the other side.  Remove the cooked chicken to a plate lined with paper towel or a clean kitchen towel.  Keep your chicken warm in a low oven while you cook the other pieces.  If you have any particularly thick pieces of chicken you should check them with a thermometer to verify they reached 165 degrees.

I love this pickled onion salad served with this chicken.  Seriously that salad is one of my favorites and I make it for many things.  The pickled onions can be made earlier in the day or even a day or two before, so the salad is really easy to throw together when you are ready for dinner.  I have never actually used escarole for this salad.  I use whatever greens look good to me.

This can also be served with any salad you prefer.  We had it with mango slaw slaw and that was delicious too.  Salads with a tart or sour element will be particularly complimentary to this chicken due to the richness of being fried.

Verdict:

This chicken is delicious easy and versatile.  It is easy to make a large batch.  This is a definite win.