stuffed chicken milanese

I love food for so many reasons, but the nostalgia I get when I eat certain things is right up there near the top of that list. You will see that I make a lot of health-conscious substitutions in my cooking, but the traditional chicken cutlet is something you will very rarely see me modify. I use the exact same breadcrumbs every time (the ones my mom uses) and if Progresso ever stops making them, I might lose my mind. (I am sure there are many great brands out there, but I don’t want many great brands. I want the exact same flavor and texture of chicken that my mom made for us growing up.

As the foundation of the ultimate comfort food (chicken parmesan!), as part of a recipe like this one or served on warm bread with fresh mozzarella and a balsamic drizzle, the fried chicken cutlet will forever be one of my most coveted foods.

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

• ½ c flour of your choice (I use King Arthur Unbleached Flour)

• 1 egg (& splash of water or milk)

• ½ c Italian breadcrumbs

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Thinly sliced prosciutto (depending on the size of your chicken breast, you may need 2-4 slices per breast)

• Thinly sliced Provolone or Fontina cheese (2-4 slices per breast)

• Olive oil (for frying)

• 2 c arugula

• ½ c cherry tomatoes, quartered

• Grated parmesan

• Balsamic vinegar, reduction or glaze

  Optional:

• Lemon wedge

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• With three shallow dishes, prepare your dredging station (use dishes that have a bit of a rim and are large enough to fit a chicken breast comfortably).  Place flour in one dish and season with salt and pepper. Scramble egg and a splash of water, place in a second dish. Sprinkle about half of your breadcrumbs in a third dish, reserving the other half on the side.

• Place your chicken on a cutting board.

• Using your hand to apply pressure on top of the chicken breast, use a sharp thin knife to make a 2-3 in pocket in the flesh of the chicken (use the thicker side of the breast). Helpul Hint: You want to make sure your knife blade stays parallel to the cutting board – image the tip of your knife making a c-shape within the chicken as you cut. You don’t want the pocket opening to extend the full length of the chicken, it should large enough for you to comfortably stuff the breast, but not so large that the contents of the pocket can easily escape when cooking.

• Cover the top of the chicken with a piece of plastic wrap and use the flat side of a meat mallet to gently pound the breast until it is about ½ - ¾ in thick (you want the breast to be uniform in thickness to ensure it cooks evenly). Remove plastic wrap and discard.

• Stuff 1-2 slices of cheese into the pocket of the chicken and close meat around it.

• Cover the top of the chicken with two more slices of cheese (optional) and follow with two slices of prosciutto.

• Gently wrap the prosciutto edges around the bottom of the chicken (you want to use the prosciutto to create a snug casing around the chicken). Flip the chicken and repeat of the other side (your chicken should now be wrapped in prosciutto in its entirety).

• Dredge both sides of the chicken breast in flour, being sure to get the sides and shaking off any excess. Then place in the egg wash, carefully flipping to coat each side.

• Lastly, place in the breadcrumbs; sprinkling the reserved breadcrumbs on top and packing the breadcrumbs on the chicken to help them stick (flip if needed to ensure you have an even coating on all sides).

• Set prepared breast on a clean plate and repeat the same steps for your second chicken breast.

• In a large non-stick pan, heat olive oil over medium heat.

• When the oil is hot, add the breaded chicken breast and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side (until golden brown). Helpful Hint: If trying to determine if your oil is hot enough, sprinkle a little bread crumb in the pan.  If the oil begins to bubble and sizzle around the crumbs, you should be good to go.

• Remove chicken from pan and place on a baking tray.

• Bake for 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of chicken breast).  Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

• Toss arugula with light olive oil and sea salt.

• Serve chicken topped with arugula, cherry tomatoes and parmesan. Drizzle with your favorite balsamic (and lemon if desired) and ENJOY!

Tips:

• This recipe can easily be doubled for a family of 4! (or if you want leftovers)

• You can certainly use gluten-free (GF) flour and breadcrumbs to make this gluten friendly. Be sure to use a GF prosciutto too!

• You can substitute the cheese for mozzarella, but if you are using fresh mozzarella, slice and freeze in advance. Mozzarella (especially fresh) tends to have a higher moisture level, making it more likely to ooze out of the chicken during the frying and baking process. Freezing the mozzarella will help it withstand the heat, being sure all the cheesy goodness stays inside of your chicken (where it belongs)!

• Instead of prosciutto and Provolone/Fontina, substitute for your favorite sliced ham and swiss for a take on the traditional Cordon Bleu! (Serve without the accompaniments).