chicken milanese with brussels sprouts salad

I love a salad with something crispy on the side. This Brussels sprouts salad with chicken Milanese is the perfect light dinner. The salad is also great on its own. If you’re making it without the chicken on the side, toasted almonds would be a nice addition. I’ve noticed at the Whole Foods near me, that you can buy chicken breasts already thinly prepared from Whole Foods brand and from Belle & Evans brand. This is great because as much as I love chicken Milanese, I HATE the process of pounding out the chicken.

Tools needed: a mallet or skilled for pounding the chicken breasts (if you haven’t purchased them already prepared), a heavy-bottomed skillet for frying, and a medium mixing bowl

Ingredients:

For the chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs total)

3 large eggs

1 1/2 c all-purpose flour

2 cups pinko bread crumbs

2 cups vegetable oil

Salt and pepper

For the farro Brussels sprouts salad:

1 cup farro

1 1/2 lbs Brussels sprouts

1 shallot, thinly sliced

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

1 lemon, juiced

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Pecorino Romano, shaved with a vegetable peeler (to your heart’s content)

Salt and pepper

Step 1:

Cook 1 cup farro according to the package instructions in salted water. Strain, rinse, and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Step 2:

Prepare your chicken cutlets by cutting the chicken breasts in half, crosswise. Place each piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and use the flat side of a meat mallet. You can also pound the chicken with the bottom of a skillet until about 1/4-inch thin. You can buy chicken cutlets already prepared at Whole Foods. Highly recommend!

Step 3:

Prepare your dredging station using 4 plates or small trays, one for each ingredient.  Place flour in one vessel and season with salt and pepper. Place the beaten eggs and panko bread crumbs each in their own individual vessel. Place all of your ingredients in a row on the counter, going left to right: chicken cutlets, flour, beaten eggs, bread crumbs, and an empty plate or tray for the breaded chicken cutlets.

Step 4:

Working from left to right, 1 piece of chicken at a time, dredge both sides in the flour, then eggs, and bread crumbs. When placing the chicken cutlet in the bread crumbs, press down lightly with your fingers to fully coat. Transfer to a plate. Repeat to coat each chicken breast.

Step 5:

Place the plate of breaded chicken cutlets in the refrigerator to chill while you prepare your salad. They don’t need to be completely spread out, but try to overlap as little as possible.

Step 6:

Prepare the dressing in a small bowl or a jar with a lid. Add the Dijon mustard, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper to a container. If using a jar, place the lid on tightly and shake vigorously until emulsified.

Step 7:

Rinse the Brussels sprouts. If you have a mandolin, use this to shave the Brussels sprouts. Otherwise, use a knife to cut each Brussels sprouts in half, lengthwise. Place each sprout on its flat side and thinly slice into shreds. Add to a bowl.

Step 8:

Slice a shallot as thinly as possible into rounds. Add to the bowl with the sprouts and mix together, breaking up the shallots into rings with your hands. Add the farro and shaved Pecorino Romano to the bowl. Place the salad aside. The Brussels sprouts benefit from being dressed ahead of time. Don’t worry about them getting soggy.

Step 9:

To fry the chicken cutlets, Place a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over a medium-high flame. Place the oil into the pan. Preheat the pan until the oil shimmers. To test, you can add a small piece of the bread crumbs to the pan. It’s should bubble up and rise to the surface immediately. Have a sheet tray with a wire rack over it or a plate lined with paper towels ready to go for the fried chicken cutlets. Working in batches of 2, add the chicken to the pan, laying the chicken down away from you as you place it in the pan. Fry 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the fried cutlets to the tray or lined plate and season lightly with salt.

Step 10:

Plate the salad with a chicken cutlet on the side. Enjoy!