Chicken Scaloppine
(from largomason’s recipe box)
While chicken is baking, choose your sauce from my two favorites below. Both are lemon butter sauces. Bottega’s is flavorful and definitely my favorite, but it is a little more time consuming. Ina’s is easy and lemony, perfect for a quick dinner with only a few ingredients.
Ingredients
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry
- kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 1 tablespoon milk or water
- 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs or panko (japanese bread crumbs) (I use whole wheat when I can find them)
- 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)
- 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or olive or canola)
Directions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
-
Place each chicken breast (I do two at a time) between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a rolling pin or small skillet (or meat mallet if you have one), flatten chicken breasts until they are about 1/4-inch thick. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
-
Set out three shallow breading pans or plates in assembly-line fashion. On the first plate, put the flour. On the second plate, mix the eggs and water or milk. On the third plate, place the panko (or bread crumbs) and parmesan cheese. Season each plate lightly with salt and pepper.
-
Dip the chicken breast in the flour and coat both sides. Shake off excess. Dip the floured chicken breast next into the egg mixture, coating both sides well. This ensures that the bread crumbs will stick to the chicken breasts. Next dip the chicken breast into the bread crumb mixture, making sure to coat each side well. Place chicken breasts on a rack or plate to rest. Repeat with the other chicken breasts.
-
Heat a large ovenproof pan (or cast iron skillet) over medium-high heat, and add the oil. Once the pan is hot (test with a bread crumb to ensure that is hot, otherwise you will not get the desired browned crust), place the chicken breasts in the pan. Important: Do not crowd the pan! I usually brown two breasts at a time, then add a tiny bit more oil and repeat with the other two chicken breasts. Brown on both sides until golden (about 3 minutes per side), adjusting the heat as necessary to achieve a uniformly browned crust.
-
Transfer the pan to the oven (or the chicken to a sheet pan) and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a rack to rest briefly.