Almond-Crusted Chicken Cutlets with Wilted Spinach-Orange Salad

(from rosie’s recipe box)

Source: America's Test Kitchen

Serves 4 people

Categories: chicken, not tried

Ingredients

  • 2 Large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/4 teaspoons Grated orange zest from 1 orange, zested orange cut into 4 wedges
  • Table salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 cup Sliced almonds , processed into fine crumbs in the food processor
  • 1/2 cup Panko (Japanese-style bread crumbs)
  • 4 Boneless, skinless chicken cutlets (5 to 6 ounces each), dried thoroughly with paper towels
  • 1/2 cup Vegetable oil
  • 5 ounces Baby spinach (about 6 cups)
  • 2 Medium oranges , peel and pith removed, and then quartered through the ends and sliced crosswise into 1/4 inch thick pieces
  • 1 Small shallot , minced (about 2 tablespoons)

Directions

  1. Lightly beat the eggs, mustard, 1 teaspoon orange zest, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper together in a shallow dish. Mix the almonds and panko in a separate shallow dish. Working with one piece of chicken at a time, dip the chicken into the egg mixture using tongs, turning to coat well and allowing excess to drip off. Drop the chicken into the nut mixture and press the nuts into the chicken with your fingers. Transfer the breaded chicken to a wire rack set over a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining chicken. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees.

  2. Heat 6 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place the chicken in the skillet gently and cook until golden brown and crisp on the first side, about 2½ minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken; reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook until the meat feels firm when pressed gently, the second side is deep golden brown and crisp, and the chicken is no longer pink in the center, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and place the plate in the oven. Discard the oil in the skillet and, using tongs and paper towels, wipe the skillet clean.

  3. Place the spinach in a large bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the cleaned skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the orange slices and cook until lightly browned around the edges, 1½ to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil, shallot, remaining ¼ teaspoon zest, ¼ teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper and allow residual heat to soften the shallot, 30 seconds. Pour the warm dressing with the oranges over the spinach and toss gently to wilt. Remove the chicken from the oven and serve it immediately with the salad and orange wedges.

  4. Technique:

  5. Removing the Peel and Pith from Oranges

  6. Start by slicing a small section, about 1/2 inch thick, from the top and bottom ends of the orange. 2. Use a very sharp paring knife to slice off the rind, including all of the bitter white pith. Slide the knife edges from the top to the bottom of the orange, following the outline of the fruit as closely as possible to minimize waste.

  7. STEP BY STEP: Preparing the Chicken Cutlets

  8. Tenderloins tend to fall off or disintegrate during pounding, so they are best removed and reserved for another use.

  9. Halve breasts horizontally to form two cutlets. Cut this way, they need little or no pounding. If pounding, follow steps for small breasts.

  10. R SMALL BREASTS: 1. Pour 1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil in the center of a sheet of plastic wrap. Turn one cutlet in the oil to coat. Top with a second sheet of plastic wrap and pound gently to an even 1/4-inch thickness. Repeat with remaining cutlets, adding additional oil as needed.

  11. Breasts pounded to 1/4-inch thickness (right) have considerably more surface area than unpounded breasts (left).

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