Breaded Chicken Cutlets: Milanese And Lucchese

In The Italian Kitchen, acclaimed chef and cookbook author Marco Canora teaches viewers to cook classic Italian dishes. To start off his chicken recipes, Marco separates the breasts by removing the cartilage attaching them; he then peels off any tenderloins, leaving the breasts thin and manageable. He also cuts off excess fat and cartilage, and then slices each breast in half, creating two cutlets from each breast.

Then Marco makes the Chicken Milanese -- a crispy, crunchy, fried breaded cutlet. This easy recipe involves flouring the chicken cutlets, dipping them in an egg bath, and then thoroughly coating them with breadcrumbs. Then, Marco heats oil and butter in a large skillet, and fries the cutlets for two minutes on each side. After removing the finished cutlets from the pan, he drains them of butter and oil by placing them on a paper towel-lined plate, and then serves them with fresh lemon. If you'd like a little more to your meal, Marco suggests topping an arugula salad with the Milanese cutlets, or adding sauce and melted mozzarella for a dish similar to chicken Parmigiana.

Next, Marco prepares the Chicken Cutlet Lucchese, a dish that comes from the Tuscan town of Lucca -- where Marco's family originated. Though very similar to the Milanese (which is the preferred preparation method in Lombardy, Italy), the Lucchese has a richer flavor and a softer, velvety texture due to the fact that the breading precedes the egg bath. In Marco's opinion, this dish is slightly more elegant than the Milanese. To prepare his cutlets, Marco first dips them in breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs firmly into the meat with his hands, and then dips them into an egg and sage mixture. He then cooks the cutlets in the same fashion: frying on both sides in butter and oil, draining them on a paper towel-lined plate, and serving them with a fresh lemon garnish.

Recipes:
Chicken Cutlet Milanese
Chicken Cutlet Lucchese