Chicken breasts are deep fried in breadcrumbs and served with beans and salsa verde in this Italian-inspired dish.
Ingredients
For the beans
150g/5½oz borlotti beans
1 onion
1 celery stick
½ head of garlic, cloves divided and peeled
3 thyme sprigs
For the Chicken Milanese
2 chicken breasts, butterflied (cut through centre and opened out flat)
100g/3½oz plain flour
1 free-range egg yolk, beaten
100g/3½oz panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
75g/2¾oz unsalted butter, diced
1 tbsp chopped fresh summer savory
¼ lemon, juice only
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salsa verde
½ bunch fresh flatleaf parsley
½ bunch fresh mint
½ bunch fresh chives
125ml/4fl oz extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp capers
2 anchovies
½ lemon, juice only
Method
For the beans, put all the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over a medium heat for 10–15 minutes, or until the beans are tender. Leave to cool in the cooking liquor and then drain the beans, discarding the vegetables, herbs and garlic. Set aside.
For the chicken Milanese, lay out a double layer of cling film and place a chicken breast on top, cut-side up. Place another double layer of cling film on top of the chicken. Flatten the chicken evenly using a specialist meat bat or the back of a pan until it is about 1cm/½in thick. Repeat with the other breast. Place the flour on a plate and season with salt and pepper. Put the egg in a bowl and the breadcrumbs on a separate plate. Dredge the chicken breasts in the flour followed by the egg and then the breadcrumbs. Ensure the breasts are fully coated and season with salt and pepper.
Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken for 5–7 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through with no traces of pink. Add the butter and savory to the pan and cook until foaming, whilst basting the chicken. The savory should lightly crisp up. Remove the chicken and savory using a slotted spoon and transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Squeeze over the lemon juice.
For the salsa verde, place the herbs, oil, capers and anchovies in a blender. Blitz to a rough purée and then season with the salt, pepper and lemon juice.
Place the chicken on warmed plates and spoon the beans and salsa verde over the top. Garnish with the crispy savory and serve immediately.
Source: BBC FOODS
