Chicken Milanese (Cotoletta a orecchio di elefante). This Italian inspired dish has proved to be very popular on my Instagram– I hope that the recipe is enjoyed as much! My Chicken Milanese consists of crispy, crunchy chicken flavoured with rosemary and parmesan, served with a simple but delicious tomato spaghetti. This recipe is very easy, but really tasty.
Traditionally, a Cotoletta or Chicken Milanese recipe uses veal rather than chicken and could be described as Italy’s version of the Austrian Wiener Schnitzel. It was historically disputed whether the breaded cutlet dish originated in Austria or Italy, but many believe there to be simply two versions. Whereas Wiener Schnitzel would usually be served with potato salad; the Italian Cotoletta is served with various side dishes. It is usually seen served with a rocket and parmesan salad; tomato sauce and mozzarella (chicken parmigiana) or as I have with tomato pasta.
Let me know if you give it a go, and be sure to give my Facebook page a like for more recipes.
RECIPE
SERVES 2
DIFFICULTY LEVEL Rookie
Ingredients:
For the Chicken Milanese:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 2 thick slices of crusty white bread
- Sprig of Rosemary
- 50g Parmesan
- Salt and Pepper
- Plain Flour
- 1 egg
- Butter
- Olive Oil
For the Tomato Pasta
- 120g Spaghetti
- 1 onion, very finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 100ml white wine
- The end of the parmesan (the hard bit you don’t eat)
- Salt and Pepper
- Fresh basil
Method
- Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add three tablespoons olive oil. Add the finely chopped onion and cook slowly for around 10 minutes until really soft.
2. Prepare the Chicken Milanese whilst the sauce is cooking. In a food processor add the bread, leaves from the rosemary sprig, the parmesan and a good grind of salt and pepper. Blitz to breadcrumbs. Put a sprinkling of flour on one plate, the beaten egg in another and the breadcrumbs in a third.
3. Put each chicken breast in between two sheets of cling film. Bash the chicken with a rolling pin until thin and even. Aim for around 1 or 2cm.
4. Dust each chicken breast in flour, then dip into the egg and finally coat with the breadcrumbs. If you have enough, dip again in the egg and back into the breadcrumbs. This will give you a crunchier crust to your chicken.
5. To the softened onions, add the two crushed garlic cloves and stir for one minute. Add two tins of chopped tomatoes, the wine, the end of the parmesan and a good grind of salt and pepper. Allow to simmer on a low heat for around 30 minutes.
6. When the sauce is just about ready, place frying pan big enough to hold both chicken breasts over a medium high heat and fill with 1/2 inch of olive oil and a heaped tablespoon of butter. Allow to heat for a couple of minutes and then place the chicken in the oil. The chicken should sizzle- if it doesn’t, the oil is not hot enough and the coating will go soggy. If you are unsure, put a little bread into the oil first to make sure it sizzles. Cook the chicken breasts in the pan for around 4 minutes each side or until golden and crisp. Make sure the heat is not too high or the outside will burn before the chicken is cooked.
7. Whilst the chicken is cooking, boil the spaghetti, reducing the cooking time by 2 minutes. Drain when cooked, keeping about a cup of the cooking water. Add the spaghetti and a little of the cooking water to the pan of sauce. Stir and cook for 2 minutes more, adding more of the cooking water if the sauce needs loosened. Check the seasoning and stir through a handful of basil leaves.
8. When the chicken is cooked, drain on kitchen paper. Serve the crispy Chicken Milanese with the tomato spaghetti. Top with parmesan shavings and some more fresh basil.
TIPS
- The best way to crush garlic is to use a large knife to bash the skin on garlic clove on a chopping board. Peel away the skin and then cover the clove with a sprinkling of salt. Use a small paring knife to push the garlic clove into a paste. The salt helps to break down the garlic into a smooth paste.
- Make it Veggie: Use Sliced aubergine instead of chicken.
- Add a teaspoon of chilli flakes at the same time as the garlic to give the sauce some heat.
- If you like this, you might want to make my other Pasta Recipes.
